by Martin Brown, General Manager, Security Technology & Strategy

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a peripheral was stirring, not even a (bluetooth) mouse…

So, it is that time of year again where everyone is filled with holiday spirit and glee (not the singing school version) yet don’t forget that it is during this time of year that the Grinch is scanning the horizon, trying to phish the joys of Christmas away from you.

Here is a friendly reminder to keep your spirits up and keep the Grinch away by considering the following 12 steps:

 1)       Don’t tell the world via social networks that your crib (or office), is empty over the holiday period.  When you leave your stable unprotected anyone can come in and wreak havoc with your donkey and asses!

 2)       Make sure you keep your Anti-Virus and security tools updated.  The holiday season brings gremlins out of the shadows who will eat after midnight and exfiltrate your holiday cheer!

 3)       Take your company back-ups offsite to a secure storage facility just in case Rudolph comes crashing through the roof due to that glowing nose actually being a single point of failure!

 4)       Make sure your remote access is working as planned and you can get online if required over the holidays, but keep it secured so the trolls don’t get in.

 5)       Have some company letterhead available so you can write official documents if needed.  It can also come in handy to make a last minute list if you partner mentions any ‘wouldn’t it be good if’ wishes for presents. Failing that, paper darts to change channel on the TV when you have lost the control under a mountain of wrapping paper.

 6)       Don’t be scammed.  If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.  ‘Tis the Season for pop-ups and alerts promising great deals and holiday freebies. THINK before you click.

 7)       Advise your alarm company that the building will be unattended and that if a fat man in any color suit gets stuck in the ventilation, it’s not going to be Father Christmas and it’s going to be more “Heave Ho” than “Ho Ho”!

 8)       Be careful with your decorations around the office and make sure it’s electrically safe. When you leave, turn off all devices not needed over Christmas as well as the Christmas lights, but remember to turn the networking equipment back on before anyone returns to work! Hung-over or not, people will still need a building to return to, and access to the network.

 9)       Check your systems daily to make sure they are operational for emergencies and those unable to digest yet another Christmas musical and who instead prefer to catch-up on the reams of photos from that Office Christmas party before HR intervenes…

 10)   Don’t stand that glass of ‘Holiday Cheer’ next to your keyboard! Keyboards do not appreciate mulled wine, and nor will they appreciate a mince pie… When mixed, the two create a Christmas Keyboard Concrete which only the ghost of Christmas Future can fix with the aid of a small jackhammer.

 11)   If you get a new computer or other network enabled device, add a passcode/password and repeatedly run the software updates until there are no more security updates to be found. Just because it’s new and shiny does not mean it’s secure!

 12)   And finally, don’t send ‘helpful’, ‘insightful’, or ‘if you want to know what I think’ text or email messages to the boss (or anyone else) while buoyed by Holiday spirits!