Holiday Cyber Hygiene Checklist

1. Stay Alert for Holiday-Themed Phishing

• Scrutinize emails claiming to be holiday promotions, shipping notifications, or gift offers.
• Verify sender identity and domain before clicking any link or opening attachments.
• Report suspicious emails to the Security/IT team immediately.
  
  

2. Strengthen Account Security

• Use strong, unique passwords for all corporate accounts.
• Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) wherever available.
• Avoid saving passwords in browsers without encryption.
  
  

3. Update All Devices Before the Holiday Break

• Ensure laptops, mobile devices, applications, and VPN clients are fully updated.
• Apply all pending security patches.
• Restart devices after updates to complete installation.
  
  

4. Secure Remote Work & Travel

• Avoid using public Wi-Fi for corporate access. Use corporate VPN at all times.
• Do not access sensitive data in public spaces.
• Keep devices physically secure while traveling.
  
  

5. Disable Unnecessary Services

• Turn off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi sharing, AirDrop, and file-sharing features when not needed.
• Lock screens when stepping away from devices—no exceptions.
  
  

6. Back Up Critical Data

• Ensure corporate data is stored only in approved cloud platforms or servers.
• Confirm backups are completed and accessible before the holiday period.
  
  

7. Shop & Browse Safely (Even on Personal Devices)

• Only shop through trusted websites using secure payment gateways.
• Beware of too-good-to-be-true holiday discounts.
• Avoid mixing personal and work activities on corporate devices.
  
  

8. Monitor Financial & System Activity

• Review corporate system logs and financial transactions more frequently.
• Immediately report any anomalies, unauthorized access, or suspicious behavior.
  
  

9. Limit Social Media Sharing

• Do not share travel plans, company information, or photos revealing confidential material.
• Be cautious of oversharing that may enable social engineering attacks.
  
  

10. Secure Corporate Devices Before Leaving for Holidays

• Encrypt laptops (BitLocker, FileVault) and ensure disk protection is enabled.
• Store devices safely when not in use.
• Log out from all corporate systems and disconnect VPN when done.

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