Real Cyberattack Cases During Holiday Seasons

As we approach another festive season, cybersecurity experts warn of an alarming pattern: threat actors increasingly target organizations during holidays. These periods of reduced staffing and heightened distraction create perfect opportunities for cybercriminals to strike, with Asia-Pacific regions experiencing a significant surge in attacks.

Recent years have witnessed several devastating holiday-timed attacks. The MOVEit breach during Memorial Day 2023 is a stark reminder of this strategy.¹ The Clop ransomware group's calculated attack exploited vulnerabilities in the widely-used file transfer software, affecting countless organizations globally.

In Asia-Pacific regions, the cybersecurity landscape has been particularly turbulent.

Singapore faced DDoS attacks targeting its financial sector during the Lunar New Year period², while Indonesia's government portals experienced significant disruptions during Eid celebrations. During the year-end holidays, Malaysia's healthcare sector was hit by ransomware attacks, compromising sensitive patient data.

Japan's critical infrastructure faced sophisticated cyber threats during the Golden Week, with several major corporations reporting ransomware incidents that disrupted operations. The country's automotive sector was particularly impacted, with supply chain disruptions affecting global production schedules. Additionally, Japanese cryptocurrency exchanges reported increased DDoS attacks during the New Year holiday.³

The Philippines experienced a surge in cybersecurity incidents during Christmas, with multiple government agencies targeted by ransomware attacks. The banking sector faced significant challenges, with several major institutions reporting DDoS attacks during the Sinulog Festival celebrations. The country's crucial Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry witnessed targeted attacks during Holy Week.

Thailand's retail sector suffered major DDoS attacks during Songkran festivities, while Vietnam's manufacturing industry faced sophisticated ransomware campaigns during Tet celebrations. China reported numerous incidents targeting e-commerce platforms during the Golden Week holiday, with several high-profile DDoS attacks disrupting online shopping services.

During Cyber Week 2023, retail giant Staples was targeted by ransomware at the height of the holiday shopping season.⁴ This incident highlighted how cybercriminals strategically time their attacks to maximize impact and potential ransom payouts during critical business periods.

The financial impact of these holiday-timed attacks has been staggering. According to recent reports, organizations in the Asia-Pacific region lost an average of $2.4 million per ransomware incident, with holiday period attacks showing 23% higher ransom demands than others.⁵

To protect against holiday-season cyber threats, organizations should:

• Maintain full security staffing during holidays
• Create specific incident response plans for holiday periods
• Conduct regular security awareness training
• Keep all systems updated and patched
• Establish regional threat intelligence sharing networks
• Confirm compliance with the highest security standards in your industry
• Implement some form of security monitoring for faster threat detection

While we're all getting into the festive spirit, cybercriminals are busy plotting their next moves. They know that organizations tend to lower their defenses during the holidays. Don't let your company become their next target!

Taking preventive steps today could mean the difference between enjoying peaceful celebrations or dealing with a stressful cyber incident. We've got your back with essential security tips to protect your business during this busy season. To make it even easier, grab our handy Printable Cybersecurity Tips Sheet for quick reference wherever you are. Here's to keeping your holidays merry, bright, and cyber-secure!

Stay safe, and enjoy a secure holiday season! 

Bonus: Strengthen Security with Remote PAM Using Safous and Enjoy a Stress-Free Holiday Season

Securing remote access to IT and OT environments is critical for smooth operations, especially during the busy holiday season. By integrating Remote PAM (Privileged Access Management) with a zero trust model, you can move beyond traditional perimeter-based defenses and ensure continuous verification of every access attempt.

The Safous Zero Trust Access (ZTA) platform empowers you to safeguard sensitive systems across your entire infrastructure. With robust security controls and real-time monitoring, Safous ZTA enables you to mitigate threats quickly—whether they target IT assets or industrial control networks. Stay in control and enjoy peace of mind this holiday season. Request a demo today to see how Safous can protect your environment end-to-end!

Sources:

1. JOINT CYBERSECURITY ADVISORY: CL0P Ransomware Gang
2. Cyber Security Agency of Singapore: Singapore Cyber Landscape 2023
3. Japanese Crypto Exchange DMM Bitcoin Suffers $305M Hack
4. Infosecurity Magazine: Staples Hit With Disruption After Cyber-Attack
5. The Exchange Asia: New ExtraHop Research Predicts the Next Ransomware Targets for APAC Businesses