Easter. A time for slowing down, spending time with family, and indulging in more chocolate than is strictly necessary. But while you’re busy hiding eggs in the garden or politely declining your fifth hot cross bun, there’s another group hard at work – cybercriminals.

For them, Easter isn’t a holiday. It’s an opportunity just like any other holiday. And if your business isn’t prepared, the only surprise waiting after the long weekend might be a locked-out system or a phishing email that’s already done its damage.

 

When Everyone Switches Off, Hackers Switch On

Holidays like Easter are prime time for attackers. Fewer people are around to spot suspicious activity, and the usual fast response times are slowed by out-of-office replies. It’s the digital equivalent of leaving the shop open with a sign saying “Gone for Easter – help yourself!”

Automation Can Be a Hidden Vulnerability

Automated systems are a lifesaver for managing updates and backups when staff are away, but they still need supervision. Without it, a misconfigured task or an exploited vulnerability can go unnoticed for days – which can have huge effects. If you haven’t recently checked what’s running while no one’s looking, now is a good time, before you log off for the bank holidays.

Watch Out for Holiday-Themed Phishing

“Your Easter hamper is waiting!” or “Claim your gift before Sunday!” or “Book your Last Minute Easter Trip” – we’ve seen it all. These kinds of emails prey on holiday cheer and distraction. Make sure your staff are aware of this tactic and know how to report suspicious messages.

 

What You Can Still Do Before the Holiday Starts

It’s not too late to prepare. Even a few quick actions can significantly reduce your risk:

  • Brief your team before they log off
    A short reminder email or 15-minute call can boost awareness. Highlight common scams and remind staff not to click on links from unfamiliar sources; even if they feature bunnies or chocolate.
  • Double-check your backups
    Ensure critical data backups are recent, tested, and stored securely. If something goes wrong, you’ll want the option to restore quickly, without paying a ransom.
  • Patch now, not later
    Don’t leave known vulnerabilities hanging over the break. Run your updates and patch critical systems while support staff are still around.
  • Secure your scheduled tasks
    Review automated jobs for misconfigurations, old accounts, or scripts with excessive permissions. Limit what runs without supervision.
  • Assign a holiday response contact (or rota)
    Even minimal on-call cover can make a difference. Make sure someone knows they’re the go-to person if alerts come in. And how they can escalate if the situation calls for it.
  • Enable and test alerting
    Make sure critical security alerts are being sent – ideally to multiple contacts. SMS or phone alerts can help catch urgent issues fast.

And finally, make sure your team knows who to call if something does go wrong.

We offer a 24/7 emergency hotline over the Easter weekend to help clients identify, respond to, and recover from cyber incidents. Whether it’s suspected ransomware or a phishing link that got clicked, we’re here to help.

 

Take the Break – Just Not from Cybersecurity

You deserve a quiet, restful Easter. And with a little foresight, you can enjoy the long weekend knowing your business is still protected.

Because the only thing that should be cracking this Easter is a chocolate egg and not your company’s resilience.

Happy Easter from all of us. Stay safe, stay alert, and enjoy the break.