While You’re Planning for your Summer Holiday, so are Cyber Criminals  

The summer holidays, should be a time to switch off and relax. But what if you have to deal with a cyber breach from the beach? Use our summer checklist to ensure you are protected from more than the sun this summer.

It’s a familiar story at this time of year. Your out of office is on, your suitcases are packed; the holiday countdown has begun. 

But while you’re preparing for your well-earned break, cyber criminals are too. 

For cyber criminals, the summer months create the perfect conditions for phishing attacks, payment fraud and business email compromise. 

It’s not because the hackers suddenly work harder in July and August, it’s because organisations become more vulnerable. 

Read this guide from Nick Rowntree on what to look out for and how to make the summer holiday a little more relaxing.

Long summer days, fewer staff around creates the perfect cyber storm

Think about what happens during the summer holiday season: 

• Key decision makers are away 

• Finance teams are covering for colleagues 

• Staff are carrying out unfamiliar tasks 

• Temporary workers or seasonal staff are filling gaps 

• People are trying to clear their inbox before they leave or catch up when they return 

These aren’t security weaknesses in themselves. But they create exactly the kind of environment that social engineering attacks rely on. 

Cyber criminals don’t just attack technology. They attack people, or rather they exploit the behaviour exhibited by people at just this time of year.

Read our blog on the top 10 cyber attack methods

“Can you just process this payment-quickly?” 

Here is a common scanrio. The Finance Manager is on holiday. A colleague who doesn’t normally authorise supplier payments receives what appears to be an email from the Managing Director. 

It says, “I’m away this week, with the family, and really can’t take calls. Can you urgently process this payment before 3pm today please?” 

The email looks genuine. The tone and signature feel familiar. The request seems plausible. 

Normally, there would be at least a verbal check with the Finance Manager. Today, they’re lying on a beach in Spain. 

Without the usual verification process, a fraudulent payment can be approved in minutes. 

This is known as Business Email Compromise (BEC), and it remains one of the most financially damaging forms of cybercrime. Unsurprisingly, it is also an attack method that thrives during the holiday season. 

Familiar requests, unfamiliar responsibilities 

The busy summer holiday period also means people are covering duties for colleagues or taking on roles outside of their normal day-to-day responsibilities. 

Someone from operations may suddenly be approving invoices. An Office Manager might be handling HR emails. A receptionist could be responding to supplier enquiries. 

When people are performing unfamiliar tasks, they’re less likely to spot when something doesn’t quite look right. 

And that’s exactly what attackers are counting on. 

Distraction is a cyber criminal’s best friend 

Let’s be honest. The week before or after a holiday isn’t when most people are at their sharpest. They’re finishing projects, replying to emails quickly in an attempt to get their inbox down to zero. 

It could be a holiday, or maybe a longtime planned summer event; a wedding a gsarden party.

Either way, they are thinking about another 100 things from buying summer clothes, packing suitcases and navigating airport departures rather than cyber security. 

That split-second decision to click a link without checking it properly can be all an attacker needs to access your systems. 

Modern phishing emails don’t look like the obvious scams of ten years ago.They are professionally written, branded correctly and can imitate genuine suppliers or colleagues. 

That is what makes them so dangerous. They are designed to pass a ‘spot check’, which is generally all they are given.

Read our summer guide to phishing attacks

The numbers that highlight the threat

Cyber-attacks continue to affect organisations of every size across the UK. 

According to the UK Government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey: 

• 43% of UK businesses experienced a cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. 

• Phishing remains the most common attack, affecting 38% of all businesses. 

• Among organisations that experienced cyber-crime, 93% involved phishing, making it by far the most common attack method. 

The attackers haven’t become dramatically more sophisticated. They’ve simply become better at exploiting human behaviour.

If you would like to understand your current security posture, and tick one less thing off your pre-holiday to-do list, please get in touch.  

We offer a free, no obligation IT health check.  

Summer cyber security checklist 

Before you or your team head off on holiday, ask yourself: 

✔ Have payment approval processes been reviewed? 

✔ Do staff know how to verify unusual requests from senior management? 

✔ Are temporary or cover staff aware of phishing risks? 

✔ Is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) enabled across business-critical systems? 

✔ Does everyone know who to contact if something doesn’t feel right? 

These simple steps can prevent thousands of pounds in losses. 

Protect your business while you’re away 

At System 15, we help organisations strengthen their cyber security with managed IT, Microsoft security solutions, cyber awareness training and practical guidance that protects your people as well as your technology. 

Before everyone heads off this summer, make sure your business isn’t left exposed.