A CISO’s Guide to a Stress-Free Christmas & the Festive Threats to Consider

‘Tis the season to be…cautious.

Everyone loves the festive season - and unfortunately, so do cyber criminals. As businesses focus on wrapping up the year and preparing for the Christmas holidays, cyber criminals take advantage of the distractions and reduced vigilance. The run-up to Christmas and New Year is often a stressful time for IT and cyber security teams, especially with reduced workforces, increased workloads and an increase in high-impact ransomware attacks during periods of operational downtime.

The Risks of a Reduced Workforce

During the festive period, many organisations face a reduced team as employees take time off to celebrate Christmas and the New Year. This shortfall can lead to several critical issues, including limited response times to potential cyber threats, overstretched security personnel, and, in some cases, a lack of essential skills if key team members are away. These gaps create vulnerabilities within your network that cyber criminals could exploit while the organisation is operating at a reduced capacity.

Cyber attackers are often aware of these seasonal dynamics - As employees wind down and start to log out for the year, cyber criminals ramp up their efforts, knowing that cyber security teams may be understaffed and underprepared. This can make it even harder to detect and respond to security threats in real time.

Increased Workload for IT and Cyber Leaders

While many employees are enjoying the festive season, IT and cyber security teams are tasked with keeping the organisation's systems secure. With fewer resources available, these teams often find themselves facing a heavier workload, which can quickly become overwhelming. The need to monitor, manage, and respond to cyber threats during this time is heightened, yet the manpower to do so may not be sufficient.

The pressure on IT leaders and cyber security teams can be intense, and the risk of burnout is real. Cyber criminals don’t take a holiday, and the consequences of a breach can be severe, making the holiday season a particularly stressful period for those tasked with protecting an organisation's sensitive data.

Ransomware on the Rise

Ransomware attacks during the festive season may not be the gift your organisation wants, but they have been steadily increasing in recent years, along with the rising costs of ransom payments.

Cyber criminals often view holidays and weekends as prime opportunities to target potential victims, from small businesses to large organisations. This timing gives them an advantage, allowing them to exploit networks and spread ransomware while network defenders and IT teams are operating at reduced capacity for an extended period. Furthermore, ransomware groups have refined their strategies to make attacks faster and stealthier, making early detection more challenging than ever.

This festive season, we want to help you stay prepared.

PureCyber, in partnership with Malware Bytes, is offering key insights to ensure your organisation remains secure throughout the Christmas and New Year period. We've created a seven-part "Stress-less Cyber Security Checklist" - your free guide to ensuring your organisations cyber security this Christmas.

A Solution for the Festive Season: Managed Cyber Security Services

At PureCyber, we recognise the strain that a shortfall in personnel and an increased workload can place on an organisation’s cyber security efforts. That’s why we offer a range of managed cyber security solutions designed to fill in the gaps and provide the expertise needed to keep your organisation safe during this critical period.

Our team of experts are available to ensure that your systems remain secure, even when your internal team is on reduced capacity. With PureCyber’s managed services, you can rest easy knowing that your cyber defences are in capable hands, allowing your IT teams to focus on other priorities without compromising security.

Securing your organisation during the festive season has never been more urgent.

The festive season often brings a significant uptick in stress, fatigue, and burnout for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and other IT leaders. The pressures of managing cyber security, overseeing the protection of sensitive data, and ensuring organisational resilience can be overwhelming; especially when the frequency and severity of cyber attacks are on the rise. According to a 2023 Gartner report, 62% of IT leaders personally experienced burnout at least once, with 44% reporting multiple instances. These figures highlight the immense pressure on IT professionals, particularly during times of heightened cyber threats.

Addressing Burnout and Stress

Burnout and fatigue are unfortunate challenges that many IT professionals and CISOs encounter at various points in their careers, often on multiple occasions.

There are several key contributors to the burnout experienced by IT and cyber security personnel, including:

• Long working hours

• Overwhelming workloads and responsibilities

• Insufficient support resources

• Feelings of isolation

• Low morale within cyber security teams

A major cultural issue fuelling burnout among IT and cyber security leaders is the pressure to work late nights and weekends, with 62% identifying it as one of the most significant contributors to burnout, alongside an excessive number of responsibilities.

Alarmingly, only 46% of cyber security leaders who have faced burnout have informed management about the stress and pressure they were under. Many hesitate to disclose their struggles due to fear of negative repercussions related to discussing burnout, mental health, and well-being.

Burnout and stress are natural responses to the demanding nature of cyber security and IT leadership. There is no shame in acknowledging burnout or asking for a break or additional support.

PureCyber is here to help provide that support.

How Can PureCyber Help?

This year, PureCyber is here to support your organisation’s cyber security efforts and help alleviate that stress. Our team of experts is ready to ensure that your systems remain secure throughout the festive season, with proactive monitoring, timely patch management, and real-time threat intelligence. By partnering with us, you can reduce the burden on your IT team and minimise the risks posed by cyber threats.

Book a call with our expert cyber security team today and find out how we can protect you this Christmas and shoulder the burden of your cyber security efforts over this busy period.

With PureCyber, your organisation’s defences are strengthened, and your IT leaders can enjoy a well-deserved break, knowing their networks are in safe hands.

Links: Gartner Report - Burnout Among Cyber Security Leaders