Summer is the season of sun, travel, and time off—but while your employees are taking well-earned vacations, cybercriminals are hard at work. With key staff out of the office and attention often focused elsewhere, summer is a prime time for cyberattacks on businesses.
At DGK Insurance, we want to help your business stay protected during the summer months by understanding the connection between reduced staffing and increased cyber risk.
Why Cyber Risk Increases During the Summer
- Fewer Eyes on the Inbox. When staff members are on vacation, fewer people are monitoring email activity. This can make your business more vulnerable to phishing attacks, invoice fraud, and business email compromise scams.
- Lax Security Habits. Temporary staff or coworkers covering unfamiliar duties may not follow cybersecurity protocols as closely, especially if they’re not fully trained.
- Delayed Response Times. If IT personnel or key decision-makers are unavailable, responding to suspicious activity—or even detecting it—can be delayed. That lost time can be critical in the event of a cyberattack.
- Increased Remote Access. Summer often brings an increase in remote logins as employees check in while away or work from vacation homes. Unsecured networks and personal devices create additional vulnerabilities.
What Your Business Can Do to Stay Cyber-Safe
- Review and Strengthen Your Cybersecurity Policies. Make sure everyone knows the protocol for remote work, email security, and password protection. Remind staff of phishing red flags and reporting procedures.
- Have Backup Staff Trained. Ensure someone is trained to spot cyber threats and manage critical IT tasks in the absence of key personnel.
- Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). MFA adds a layer of protection when employees log in from different locations or unfamiliar devices.
- Monitor Systems Actively. Automated monitoring tools can alert you to suspicious activity when no one is physically present to notice.
- Revisit Your Cyber Insurance Coverage. Cyber insurance is essential for modern businesses. It can help cover the cost of data breaches, ransomware attacks, business interruption, and more.
Cyber threats don’t take summer breaks—and neither should your protection. Having the right cybersecurity measures and the right insurance coverage in place ensures your business stays secure, even when your team is out of the office.