The period between Christmas and New Year usually brings slower business operations, reduced staffing, and a focus on keeping only essential processes running. For attackers, this is not downtime. It is an opportunity. Security incidents that begin during the holidays are often not detected immediately, and their full impact becomes visible only after normal operations resume.

Experience from real-world incidents shows that holidays are not an exception but one of the most vulnerable periods of the year. Not because of new or advanced threats, but because existing weaknesses combine with reduced oversight and slower response.

Why attackers target the Christmas and New Year period

Attackers choose timing deliberately. The holiday season creates a predictable environment where organizations operate with limited capacity. It is well known when key employees are on leave, when security teams are understaffed, and when decisions are delayed. In these conditions, attackers gain more time inside systems before being noticed. Even basic intrusions can progress further than usual simply because no one is actively watching.

Decision making also slows down. When suspicious activity is detected, escalation is often delayed due to unclear responsibility or unavailable personnel. This allows attackers to move laterally, collect data, and prepare more damaging stages of an attack.

Fewer people, slower response, relaxed controls

During the holidays, security rarely fails by design. It simply loses priority. IT and security teams often work with reduced coverage, and in smaller organizations security monitoring may be limited to occasional checks. Alerts remain unread, logs are collected but not actively reviewed, and suspicious events are not correlated into a meaningful picture.

At the same time, temporary exceptions become normal. Temporary user accounts remain active, remote access is not reviewed, and security controls are loosened to make remote work easier. These decisions increase the attack surface precisely when the ability to respond is at its weakest.

The most common attacks during the holiday period

Attacks at the end of the year are rarely technically sophisticated. Their success depends on timing and human behavior. Phishing remains the most common attack vector. Messages often imitate delivery notifications, holiday greetings, changes to work schedules, or urgent financial requests before year end. Employees working remotely may not have an easy way to verify such requests, increasing the likelihood of error.

Ransomware attacks frequently begin with compromised accounts or phishing emails, but are executed when attackers believe the organization will respond slowly. Every hour of delay during the holidays increases pressure and potential damage.

Compromised VPN and remote access services are also common. Weak passwords, missing multi-factor authentication, and outdated configurations allow attackers to gain silent access. These intrusions often remain undetected until January, when unusual behavior or a major incident finally surfaces.

In most cases, these are not new vulnerabilities. They are known technical weaknesses that existed long before, but become critical when active monitoring is reduced.

What organizations can realistically do without round-the-clock monitoring

Not every organization has the resources for continuous security monitoring or on-call response teams. That does not mean they are defenseless. The first step is understanding real exposure. Without clear visibility into technical vulnerabilities, it is difficult to know which weaknesses actually matter. This is where a vulnerability assessment becomes essential.

A vulnerability assessment provides a structured overview of weaknesses across systems, applications, and network infrastructure. Instead of assumptions, organizations gain a clear picture of technical gaps that can be exploited during periods of reduced attention.

The second step is prioritization. Not all vulnerabilities carry the same risk. Understanding which issues have the greatest potential impact allows teams to focus limited time and resources where it matters most.

The third step is preparation. Organizations that understand their weaknesses can address critical findings before the holidays and enter the period with lower risk and greater control, even without continuous monitoring.

Holidays do not create problems, they expose them

The holiday season does not cause security incidents by itself. It reveals how effective existing controls really are when daily routines and constant oversight disappear. Organizations with a clear understanding of their technical weaknesses and real risk posture enter the holidays with fewer surprises. Those that rely on assumptions often begin the new year responding to incidents that could have been prevented.

Sources:

FBI & CISA – Ransomware Awareness for Holidays and Weekends (AA21-243A)
Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 – Incident Response Report