Holiday Staffing Changes? Don’t Forget About Security Coverage

The holiday season is here, and for many businesses, that means a little juggling. Employees are taking well-deserved vacations, offices are operating with smaller teams, and schedules are anything but normal. While everyone is busy planning time off and wrapping up year-end projects, there's one thing that shouldn't get overlooked: your business's IT security coverage.

Cybercriminals don't take holiday breaks. In fact, they often see reduced staffing and distracted employees as the perfect opportunity to strike.

So, before your team heads out for the holidays, let's make sure your business isn't leaving the door open to security risks.

Who's Watching Your Systems While You're Away?

When key employees are out of the office, who's keeping an eye on your network, security alerts, and IT systems?

It's easy to assume someone else has it covered, but assumptions can lead to missed alerts and delayed responses.

Having a Managed IT Services Provider (MSP) like Atlantic Technology Services monitoring your systems helps ensure someone is watching for suspicious activity, even when your internal team is enjoying some time off.

Don't Let Temporary Access Become a Permanent Problem

Holiday staffing changes sometimes mean employees take on additional responsibilities or temporary workers step in to help. That can also mean granting access to systems, files, or applications that employees don't normally use.

Before making those changes, keep a few things in mind:

• Limit access: Only provide access to the systems and information needed to get the job done.
• Use individual accounts: Avoid sharing passwords or login credentials between employees.
• Set an expiration date: Temporary permissions should be removed when they're no longer needed.
• Keep MFA enabled: Multi-factor authentication is especially important when employees are working remotely.

A little planning now can prevent some big headaches later.

In Case Of Emergency ... Make Sure Someone Knows What to Do

Imagine a security alert pops up on December 26, but the person who normally handles it is on vacation. Now what?

Every business should have a plan for handling IT emergencies when key decision-makers aren't available. Make sure there's a designated backup contact, updated emergency contact information, and a clear process for escalating issues.

Your MSP should also know about any holiday schedule changes so they can coordinate support and respond quickly if something unexpected happens.

A Holiday Security Check Is Worth It

Before closing out the year, take a few minutes to review your security coverage.

• Are backups running properly?

• Are devices updated?

• Is remote access secure?

• Do employees know how to report suspicious emails?

These small checks can make a big difference in keeping your business protected during the holiday rush.

Enjoy the Holidays. We'll Help Handle the IT.

The holidays should be a time to recharge, not worry about what's happening on your network.

At Atlantic Technology Services, we help businesses stay secure, productive, and moving forward—even when staffing levels and schedules change.

Before your team signs off for the holidays, let's make sure your IT security coverage is ready. Reach out to us to review your holiday support plan and head into the new year with a little extra peace of mind.