Human Firewall: Security Awareness for Staff Over the Festive Season

Christmas is right around the corner, and even the most organised teams are starting to slip into holiday mode. It’s the season of managing huge shopping lists, sorting travel plans, and continually wondering whether you were supposed to have defrosted the turkey already. With so much on our minds, it’s not surprising that we all become a little complacent… and unfortunately, cybercriminals know it.

Understanding festive risks

Letting your guard down in December seems harmless – it’s a time of joy and goodwill, after all. But the fact is that cyber risks increase sharply at this time of year. Staff often work from home on personal devices, log in from airports, cafes, or relatives’ houses, and travel with work laptops tucked between presents. Inboxes also get busier than Santa’s workshop, with scam emails promising unbeatable discounts on the latest mind-bogglingly expensive gadgets. Add in the spike in online shopping – presenting cyber criminals with an all-you-can-eat data buffet – and the risks are huge. 

Festive distractions create space for mistakes. So what can you do about it? 

You could cancel everyone’s remote working, ban personal devices, and ask people to stay chained to their desks until January… but that probably won’t do wonders for morale. A more sensible approach is much easier, far more effective, and won’t ruin anyone’s Christmas: build a human firewall!

What’s a human firewall?

A human firewall is created when you train your staff to follow an approved set of security rules, and closely monitor information going in and out of the network… much like a real firewall does. It’s about having a team of well-trained, security-aware employees who can spot risks early and follow good habits automatically.

We don’t want you to be paranoid this Christmas, but we do want you to stay aware, especially when things get busy. A few smart habits can make the difference between a calm January and starting the year untangling a preventable incident. Send this handy checklist to your team to get the ball rolling:

• Phishing spotting: Pause before clicking unexpected or unusual-looking links, verify senders, and question those ‘too good to be true’ festive discounts before falling for the scam. 
• Strong passwords & MFA: Use unique, hard-to-guess passwords for all accounts, and enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible.
• Good device hygiene: Lock screens when stepping away from the computer – especially in busy spaces – and avoid sharing work devices with curious kids who want to ‘help’!
• Safe file sharing: Double-check that the right links are being sent to the right person (e.g. avoid accidentally sending customer payment records to Uncle Steve instead of your Christmas wishlist!)
• USB awareness: Avoid unknown USB sticks, even if they appear in Christmas crackers or stocking fillers. Unless you can be 100% sure what’s on them, keep them away from any work devices. 
• Wi-Fi basics: Steer clear of public Wi-Fi for work purposes unless using a secure hotspot or VPN. If you absolutely have to work from the train station or airport, always make sure you’re protected.
  

Want the printable version? No problem! Get in touch to request your copy of our festive human firewall checklist, ready for managers to share before everything starts to get a little too merry!