The Summer Holiday Cyber Security Checklist: Staying Secure While Your Team Takes a Break

Don’t Let Cyber Security Take a Holiday

Whether you’re heading to the beach, working remotely from a holiday cottage, or managing a reduced workforce during the summer months, Cyber Security should remain a top priority.

For small and medium-sized businesses across Ipswich and Suffolk, the summer period can bring unique challenges. With employees taking annual leave, teams working more flexibly, and key decision-makers away from the office, it’s important to maintain strong security practices to protect your business, customers and data.

Cyber criminals often take advantage of seasonal disruptions. With reduced staffing levels, employees connecting from unfamiliar locations, and day-to-day routines changing, summer can present new opportunities for phishing attacks, data breaches, and device theft.

Before you pack your suitcase, make sure you’ve completed this essential Cyber Security checklist.

1. Secure Your Devices Before You Travel

Laptops, smartphones, and tablets often contain sensitive business information. If a device is lost or stolen, the consequences can be costly.

Check that you have:

✅ Enabled Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on all business accounts

✅ Updated your operating systems and applications

✅ Activated full device encryption

✅ Enabled remote wipe functionality where possible

✅ Locked devices with strong passwords or biometrics

✅ Added face ID where available

✅ Implemented passkeys where possible for extra protection

A fully patched and protected device is your first line of defence.

2. Think Twice Before Using Public Wi-Fi

Airport lounges, hotels, cafés, and holiday parks all offer convenient internet access, but many public networks lack proper security.

Stay safe by:

✅ Using a company-approved VPN

✅ Avoiding sensitive transactions on public Wi-Fi

✅ Disabling automatic Wi-Fi connections

✅ Connecting through your mobile hotspot when possible

Remember, convenience should never come at the expense of security.

3. Beware of Holiday-Themed Phishing Scams

Cyber criminals frequently use seasonal themes to increase the success of phishing campaigns.

Common examples include:

• Fake airline booking confirmations
• Fraudulent hotel reservation emails
• Holiday competition scams
• “Package delivery” notifications
• Last-minute travel deal offers

Before clicking any link:

✅ Verify the sender’s email address

✅ Check for spelling or grammar mistakes

✅ Hover over links to inspect URLs

✅ Report suspicious emails to your IT team

If something seems unusual, trust your instincts and verify before acting.

4. Review Access Permissions Before Staff Leave

Summer holidays can result in reduced staffing levels, making it important to ensure access controls remain appropriate.

Consider:

✅ Reviewing privileged user accounts

✅ Confirming emergency contacts for key systems

✅ Implementing temporary access arrangements where necessary

✅ Monitoring shared mailboxes and business-critical applications

Good access management helps maintain business continuity while reducing security risks.

5. Back Up Critical Data

Ransomware and accidental data loss don’t stop during the holiday season.

Before key personnel go on leave:

✅ Verify backups are running successfully

✅ Test data recovery processes

✅ Ensure backups are stored securely

✅ Confirm cloud services are properly protected

The best backup strategy is one you’ve tested, not one you hope works.

6. Keep an Eye on Business Accounts

Many businesses experience invoice fraud and payment diversion attempts during holiday periods when approval processes may be less stringent.

Protect your organisation by:

✅ Verifying payment requests via a second communication channel

✅ Being cautious of urgent financial requests

✅ Reviewing banking and supplier account changes carefully

✅ Maintaining clear approval procedures

Fraudsters often rely on urgency and distraction. Slow down and verify.

7. Have a Plan if Something Goes Wrong

No organisation is immune to cyber incidents.

Ensure employees know:

✅ Who to contact following a security incident

✅ How to report suspicious activity

✅ What steps to take if a device is lost or stolen

✅ Where important incident response documentation is stored

A quick response can significantly reduce the impact of a cyber attack.

Quick Holiday Cyber Security Checklist

Before you leave for your summer break, ask yourself:

☐ Are all devices fully updated?

☐ Is MFA enabled on every critical account?

☐ Have backups been checked and tested?

☐ Are remote workers using secure connections?

☐ Have access permissions been reviewed?

☐ Does everyone know how to report a cyber incident?

☐ Have you warned employees about seasonal phishing threats?

If you can tick every box, you’re already reducing your cyber risk significantly.

Stay Protected This Summer

Cyber threats don’t disappear when the office empties. By taking a few simple precautions before the holiday season begins, businesses can protect their people, data, and operations from unnecessary risk. This is especially important for small and medium-sized businesses in Ipswich and across Suffolk, where leaner teams can often feel the impact of a cyber incident more acutely.

At Corbel Solutions, we help organisations across Ipswich, Suffolk, and the wider region strengthen their cyber security posture through proactive monitoring, Microsoft security solutions, staff awareness training, and managed IT support.

Need help reviewing your cyber security strategy? Contact the Corbel team today to ensure your business stays secure, wherever summer takes you.

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Corbel Solutions are an Ipswich based IT Support provider who work proactively throughout Ipswich and the wider Suffolk area including Felixstowe, Stowmarket, Sudbury, Woodbridge, Newmarket and the surrounding Suffolk area in order to provide a wide range of services from Business IT Support, Cyber Security and Cyber Security Training all the way through to IT Consultancy and Microsoft CoPilot for 365 services. To take a look at what some of our clients have had to say about working with us, check out our Google Review page. To find out more information or to have a chat with one of our team members, feel free to give us a call on 01473 241515 or email us on info@corbel.co.uk. Or alternatively, you can book in a call with one of our team members here.