In the twelve days to Christmas…

So that you don’t end up feeling like a trussed up turkey ready to go in the oven, it is important to remember the fundamentals of security across the Christmas period.

Whilst it may be the season of goodwill in the office, this unfortunately does not apply to all men, or women for that matter, some of whom see this period as the ideal time to get beneath a company’s defences.

Physical Security

As the retail sector knows only too well, with high levels of stock in warehouses, business security at Christmas is important; this is the time for break-ins to happen. It is a busy time for the CCTV and man guarding sector and reputable ARCs will prove their worth, as they protect normally full office spaces and industrial sites. It is important that those seeking these services check that their security company is BSIA registered with NSI certification, as if anything does happen, you need to know that the police will take the report seriously. Continual false alarms or shoddy reporting procedures do not help the extremely busy police forces, who are already dealing with an increase in antisocial behaviour and domestic burglaries at this time of year.

Online Security

The digital world is also under strain. Tis the season to be jolly but do not let the jokes and laughter result in complacency when it comes to dealing with unexpected attachments on email, no matter how potentially funny that joke or silly photo could be if opened, or chatty approaches via social media from individuals asking for information which you should think twice about supplying, despite the Christmas spirit. You do not want to be haunted by the ghost of data taken by ransomware or that of networks compromised and used for botnets.
Criminals, whether in the physical or virtual world will be well aware that their actions are less likely to be noticed between Christmas and New Year, just because there are fewer people around in the office. In the meantime, our transactions online will multiply as we spend our hard earned money across the holiday period or get in touch with friends and family far away, making it one of the busiest times of year for internet connectivity.

So take the twelve days to Christmas as an opportunity to check your security, to remind staff of how to stay safe online and to review your backup procedures if there were to be a problem. Then by the time Christmas Day comes, you can really enjoy your Christmas dinner.

More on setting up physical security for your network.

Merry Christmas from us all at Beaming.