For most UK businesses, December is a time to wind down, wrap up final projects, and prepare for a well-earned break. But while your team slows down, cyber criminals speed up. Every Christmas, we see a sharp rise in cyber security attacks including: phishing emails, malware infections, credential theft, and opportunistic attempts to exploit businesses with reduced staffing and relaxed processes.

At Ashdown Solutions, we support organisations across the UK throughout the festive period, and every year we encounter the same preventable mistakes. The good news? With a little planning, you can significantly reduce your risk over Christmas and start the new year on the right foot.

Here are the 12 most common cyber security mistakes businesses make at Christmas, and how to avoid them.

1. Leaving MFA Disabled or Not Fully Rolled Out

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is one of the simplest and most effective protections you can have, yet many businesses still don’t have it enabled across all accounts. Over Christmas, when staff work remotely or access systems from personal devices, MFA becomes even more critical.

Fix it: Ensure MFA is enabled across Microsoft 365, remote desktops, VPNs, and any cloud platforms your team uses.

2. Not Locking Down Remote Access Before the Break

Attackers regularly scan for open RDP ports, weak VPN credentials, and unsecured cloud dashboards. If remote access is not properly secured, the Christmas break becomes a perfect time to target you.

Fix it:

• Disable unused remote access accounts
• Enforce strong passwords and MFA
• Use conditional access policies
• Review who can log in after hours

3. Skipping End-of-Year Patching and Updates

Software updates often get pushed back during busy months, and December is no exception. But unpatched systems are one of the easiest ways for cyber security criminals to get in.

Fix it: Apply patches to servers, endpoints, routers, firewalls, and critical applications before the holiday shutdown.

4. Falling for Festive-Themed Phishing Scams

Every December we see an explosion of seasonal phishing emails, including:
🎁 Fake delivery notifications
🎄 Christmas gift or rewards emails
📦 Parcel scams
💳 Gift card fraud
🔔 Spoofed “urgent invoice before Christmas” messages

Attackers prey on the rush, stress, and reduced attention typical at this time of year.

Fix it: Run a quick pre-Christmas phishing reminder for staff and reinforce the idea: If it feels urgent or festive, verify before clicking.

5. Having No Out-of-Hours Incident Response Plan

If something goes wrong at 9pm on the 23rd, who handles it? Without a clearly defined emergency process, small problems can snowball into major incidents.

Fix it:

• Document your Christmas escalation process
• Share emergency contact details
• Verify your IT support (including Ashdown Solutions) is contactable

6. Poor Password Hygiene as Staff Rush to Finish Projects

The December rush leads to shortcuts, shared credentials, reused passwords, password updates left until January. Unfortunately, attackers know this too.

Fix it:
Introduce a final password check-up before Christmas, and reinforce your password policy.

7. Cloud Backups Not Tested (or Not Working Properly)

Many businesses assume their backups are working until they need them. We often find that backup jobs haven’t completed for weeks, or that cloud storage limits have been exceeded without anyone noticing.

Fix it:
Run a test restore from your backup solution to confirm you could recover from a breach or data loss over the holidays.

8. Allowing Staff to Travel With Unencrypted Devices

Team members travelling with laptops or phones to visit family or work remotely can unknowingly create risk. Lost or stolen devices are more common at this time of year.

Fix it:
Ensure all company devices are encrypted, protected with MFA, and can be remotely wiped if needed.

9. Shadow IT Used for Quick Wins Before the Break

In the rush to finish tasks, staff may use personal email, cloud storage, or unapproved tools. This can expose data, create compliance issues, and weaken cyber security protections.

Fix it:
Reinforce which systems must be used and which must not.

10. Not Disabling Dormant Accounts Before the Holiday

Old accounts, from temporary staff, contractors, or previous employees, are easy targets for attackers. If no one uses them, no one notices when they’re breached.

Fix it:
Audit and disable any unused user or admin accounts before Christmas.

11. No Monitoring When the Office Is Closed

Attackers love long weekends and holiday breaks because they know many businesses are not watching their systems. A breach that goes unnoticed for a week can cause far more damage than one spotted immediately.

Fix it:
Ensure you have 24/7 monitoring in place or partner with an MSP like Ashdown Solutions who handles this for you.

12. Not Working With an IT Partner Who Actually Supports You Over Christmas

Some IT providers effectively “shut down” during the festive period, leaving businesses vulnerable. If your provider has reduced hours, unavailable engineers, or slow response times over Christmas, you’re exposed.

Fix it:
Work with an IT partner that doesn’t shut down when you need them most.
Ashdown Solutions provides ongoing support and complete peace of mind over the holidays.

Stay Cyber-Safe This Christmas

Christmas should be a time for celebration not scrambling to deal with a cyber security attack. With the right preparation, you can protect your business, your data, your team, and your customers.

At Ashdown Solutions, we’re helping organisations across the UK strengthen their defences before the holiday period. If you want to ensure your business is protected, book a call with us to discuss how we can help you stay secure and stress-free over the Christmas period.

Understand your people risk before attackers do.

Our free Human Risk Report identifies how your employees could unintentionally expose your business to cyber security threats from phishing to poor password habits. You’ll get clear, actionable insights on where your biggest vulnerabilities lie and practical steps to strengthen your defences.

Book your free Human Risk Report today and start turning human risk into human resilience.