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Distraction is their ally. From holiday parties to gift lists to travel plans, the holidays provide bad actors a prime time to do their crime. Cybercrime increases worldwide during the holiday season. Shoppers rush, support staff operate with reduced numbers, and festive distractions create gaps in awareness. With America’s Thanksgiving approaching, warnings about holiday scams and threats to retail payment systems carry added urgency.
Cyber Threats Expand as Shopping Volume Surges
eMazzanti Technologies President Carl Mazzanti warns that retailers face elevated cyber risk during the busiest sales weeks. “The high-traffic retail period will bring a surge of cybercrime,” he says. He urges merchants to strengthen POS protections before Black Friday. “Merchants should work with eMazzanti professionals to strengthen their point-of-sale security measures immediately,” he adds.
High-profile retail attacks reinforce the concern. Forever 21 suffered a breach that exposed customer payment data for months. Wendy’s saw more than 1,000 locations compromised and later settled for a reported $50 million. Mazzanti notes that “increased transaction volumes create more opportunities for attackers.”
POS Systems Remain a Prime Target
Mazzanti stresses the real-world consequences of payment-system breaches. “POS breaches are more than a nuisance,” he cautions. He says they damage brands, reduce trust, and create high financial costs. He advises retailers to apply network segmentation, encryption, intrusion-prevention tools, and strict application whitelisting.
Outdated systems raise the risks. “Outdated software is also a leading cause of security vulnerabilities,” Mazzanti says. He notes that automated patching ensures rapid updates during peak weeks.
Stronger Authentication and Training Tighten Defenses
Mazzanti highlights the importance of strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and PCI DSS compliance. He also stresses training. Seasonal hiring increases the need for clear security steps. It’s not new advice, but some drum beats need to be played over and over.
“Retailers handle many credit card transactions during the holidays, making them a main target for criminals,” he says. He states that merchants who partner with cybersecurity professionals reduce downtime and protect customer data during critical sales days.
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