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The Santa Claus Plan: Securing Your Business All Year Round

Updated: Aug 16, 2024



🎅 No, it’s not the right time of year to be talking about #Christmas, but bear with us, Santa Claus has a few tricks up his sleeve that can keep your business secure all year long! 🔒✨

 

Planning for Cyber Security the Santa Claus Way



It might seem odd to think about Santa Claus outside of December, but his approach to preparation offers a perfect blueprint for enhancing your #CyberSecurity strategy.


Let’s be honest, no organisation makes significant changes during a busy time of year, so why would you?

The key to success lies in careful, year-round planning, just like Santa Claus does. 📅

 

1. Preparation is Key

Santa Claus doesn’t just wake up in December and start delivering presents 🎁. He spends the entire year preparing. Similarly, your business should invest time in developing a robust cyber security plan that’s ready to withstand any threat, no matter when it occurs.


Think of it as your digital sleigh, if you don’t maintain it, it won’t run when you need it most.

 

2. Make a List and Check It Twice

One of Santa Claus’s most famous habits is making a list and checking it twice. ✔️✔️ 


This can easily translate to your cyber security action plan. Start by making a comprehensive list of all your digital assets, sensitive information, and potential vulnerabilities. Then, double-check to ensure every point is covered.


Are your devices up to date? Is 2-step verification active? Is your team alert and trained? Don’t just assume—verify. 🔍🔒

 

3. Identify Who’s Naughty or Nice

Santa Claus knows who’s been naughty or nice 🎅, and your cyber security strategy should too. Regularly assess your team’s access privileges and decide who truly needs administrative access and / or access to sensitive data.


Limiting unnecessary access reduces the risk of internal threats and minimises potential entry points for hackers. It’s about ensuring that only those who’ve been “nice” (trusted and necessary) have access to your critical systems. 🔐📝

 

4. Delegate and Train Your Elves

Santa Claus can’t do it all alone, he relies on his elves 🧝‍♂️. Similarly, your cyber security efforts shouldn’t be the responsibility of just one person.


Cyber security is everyone’s responsibility. 


Ensure your team is well-trained and understands their role in keeping the business secure. Regular cyber security training and clear communication are key to ensuring that everyone is on the same page. 📚👥

 

5. Double-Check Before the Big Day

Just like Santa Claus checks everything twice before the big night 🎄, you should also conduct regular security audits. This means reviewing your cyber security measures periodically and after every significant change process, to ensure they’re up to date and functioning as expected.


A security breach can happen at any time, and you don’t want to discover a vulnerability when it’s too late. 🛡️⏱️

 

Keep Your Business Secure All Year Round

By following the Santa Claus plan, you can ensure that your business remains secure not just during busy times, but throughout the entire year. Cyber threats don’t take a holiday, they get worse during holiday periods, so neither should your cyber security efforts.


Start preparing now, make your list, check it twice, and keep your business safe from those on the "naughty" list. 👀✅


Remember, Santa Claus wouldn’t be able to deliver presents to millions of children if he didn’t plan.  If it's essential you have IT to run your business, your business’s security deserves the same level of attention, to keep it safe.  🎅🔒


Why not get in touch with us when it's quiet, to see if we can identify any weaknesses in your IT?


If we find any, you will receive a plain-language report showing how any vulnerabilities might be used by an attacker, as well as the instructions to fix them.


 

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The contents of this website are provided for general information only and are not intended to replace specific professional advice relevant to your situation. The intention of the South East Cyber Resilience Centre is to encourage cyber resilience by raising issues and disseminating information on the experiences and initiatives of others.  Articles on the website cannot by their nature be comprehensive and may not reflect the most recent legislation, practice, or application to your circumstances. The South East Cyber Resilience Centre provides affordable services and Cyber Essential Partners if you need specific support. For specific questions please contact us at enquiries@secrc.police.uk.  The South East Cyber Resilience Centre does not accept any responsibility for any loss that may arise from reliance on information or materials published on this website.  It is not responsible for the content of external internet sites that link to this site or which are linked from it.

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