How to Secure Your Business During the Holiday Season

We all enjoy the holiday season, but have you ever thought about how to protect your business from cyber and physical threats? This time of year brings increased consumer activity and heightened risks for all companies, even small businesses. 

“When it comes to burglaries, summer vacation is the peak window. But a 2022 Porch Research study showed that the value of items taken is at its highest in November and December, with jewellery and technology more likely to be stolen during the holidays than at other times,” says Aegis Technologies.

Whether you own a pet store, restaurant, warehouse, or any type of retail business, all businesses have one thing in common—the need for increased security measures during the holidays.

Phishing attacks on businesses are now much more sophisticated, with scammers stealing sensitive data. Efforts to increase cybersecurity training against any vulnerability to elevate security and prevent financial losses go a long way. So does safeguarding your business with commercial locksmith services against most security breaches that a business could face.

Commercial locksmith services can upgrade and implement security systems to protect all types of businesses from these threats. This includes preventing cyber attacks. In this blog, we offer tips for your business, including cybersecurity tips for the busy holiday season. 

Every business needs to be able to respond to physical and cyber security threats. This can make all the difference in effective security, deter potential bad actors, and optimize security protocols. Here’s the takeaway:

Increased Risk Factors to Businesses

With all the increased risk factors during the holiday season, some are especially important to understand because they can create an elevated risk of cyber threats during the holidays. So here are some things you can do to protect your business from cyberattacks and physical threats during the holiday rush.

These include the following:

• Remote Work: Many employees work remotely during the holidays, and their devices may have a different level of security than office systems. This makes them prime targets for cyber threats like phishing attacks, malware infections, and unauthorized access to company networks. Cybercriminals can easily exploit unsecured networks, outdated software, and employee distractions.
• Holiday Shopping: Employees often shop online, which can lead to phishing scams and expose devices to malware, unauthorized data collection, and phishing attempts.

Effective Security Tips for Businesses

1. Understanding Holiday Security Risks & Needs

While the holiday season is all about shopping and giving to others, cyber threats are heightened due to cyber criminals exploiting it. If you’re uncertain as to how you can upgrade your business’s security during this holiday season, our specialists at Locksmith United will provide guidance and recommend the best security measures to give access only to credentialed individuals. We focus on the following:

• Business vulnerability during the busiest time of the year
• Security Solutions
• Steps to prevent potential attacks
• Best line of defense

2. Updating Tech

The holiday season is one of the busiest times for businesses. The National Retail Federation (NRF) shows that core retail sales during the 2023 holiday season grew 3.8% over 2022 to a record $964.4 billion, roughly around $3000 per person in the US.

Nonetheless, the surge in retail sales brings plenty of risks.”The rise in sophistication of crimes from threat actors cannot be understated. Today’s hackers are committed, persistent, non-conforming, and curious,” says Ted Harrington via NRF. This makes securing businesses more challenging than ever.

To prevent advanced threats from malicious links, businesses must prioritize updating their technology and security systems, especially during high-traffic periods. Commercial locksmith services are key to overcoming security threats that businesses face today and helping companies avoid physical and cyber vulnerabilities.

3. Understanding Company Security Policy

Lost and stolen keys are standard during the holiday season, and busy schedules often compromise security. Locksmith United commercial locksmith services can quickly rekey locks if lost or stolen to ensure no one else uses them.

During the holidays, cleaning crews, employees, and contractors often come and go, sometimes with little supervision.Increased foot traffic results in real threats, no matter how small or large your business is. Locksmith United can upgrade your security using high-security locks to ensure maximum protection.

4. Securing Business Access Control Systems

The access control system is your company’s first line of defense. During the holiday season, evaluate its effectiveness and find ways to bolster it.

Commercial locksmith services by United Locksmith offer 24/7 commercial locksmith services, including commercial door installation and repair, door hardware, and rekeying locks. Commercial locksmiths also do the following to optimize security measures during the holidays.

• Implement comprehensive card access control systems, biometric systems, security cameras, and video surveillance.
• Conduct in-depth security assessments of your business to protect your business.
• Inspects door closers, handicap automatic operators, and exit devices to prevent security breaches in small and large businesses.

4. Use Phishing Simulation Training

Most cybersecurity incidents—like phishing attacks—stem from human error. Cybersecurity training is necessary, equipping your team with the skills to identify and respond to suspicious activity with phishing simulation training.  

5. Ensure Offline Backup

If you run an e-commerce business, it’s important to take extra security measures during the holiday season. That means preparing for backups—especially during busy holiday shopping- using cloud technology or external storage to save business files and operating data. Cybercriminals can steal sensitive information, and a business needs to have a robust backup strategy.

6. Protect Your Business From Potential Threats

Commercial locksmith services offer security measures to protect your business. These can be done in the most straightforward ways, such as rekeying or installing a security system. 

However, companies can take many other security measures when using commercial locksmiths like Locksmith United. Here are a few ways that locksmiths can help you:

• Installing door hardware and rekeying locks
• Installing high-quality CCTV, HD with digital zoom, frame-by-frame viewing, including night vision
• Offers automatic alerts when cameras detect motion pushed to devices to protect your business
• Keep buildings safe and secure with free security risk assessments and commercial locksmith services.

7. Optimize Heightened Security Awareness

As a business, you’re most likely dealing with increased online and in-person- traffic during every holiday shopping season. 

By having theft protection against card fraud and using trained security with the latest security solutions by Locksmith United, you can protect your business against financial losses and train employees to safeguard your business.

Final Thoughts

Everyone enjoys the holiday season, but if you have a business, you’ll need to keep up with the latest security trends. This helps with theft prevention, identity discrepancies, and cyber resilience. Commercial locksmith services and the latest in commercial security solutions can help you do this easily.

Adopting key security measures during the holiday includes safeguarding your business and employees, preventing ransomware attacks and phishing scams, and swiftly and effectively controlling crowds.