Cybersecurity
Holiday Scams 2025: The Cyber Threats Targeting Employees Right Now
Holiday Scams 2025: The Cyber Threats Targeting Employees Right Now by Todd Moss
The holiday season is supposed to be a time for celebrating wins, recharging, and reconnecting. For those of us managing teams or safeguarding organizations, though, it often brings a silent kind of stress, the kind where security feels a little less certain, and the risk of scams grows with each unopened email or unfamiliar login request. Frankly, we get it. Every year, cybercriminals count on the seasonal bustle to catch employees (and even smart leaders) off guard.
Unlike years past, the cyber threats facing organizations in 2025 are more advanced and less obvious. While it used to be questionable emails with sloppy typos, this year’s phishing scams come disguised as believable HR memos, IT alerts, and package delivery notices, all wrapped up with convincing logos and perfect grammar. That’s why we believe future-proofing IT isn’t a one-time checklist, but an ongoing discipline, especially during the holidays.
The State of Holiday Scams in 2025: What’s Changed (and Why it Matters)
We’ve watched the landscape change dramatically just in the last 12 months. Attackers now employ AI to personalize scam emails, mimic your colleagues’ writing styles, and even set up fake Zoom invites that look entirely authentic. Add in the annual mix of employee vacations, stressed-out finance teams, and donation requests for nonprofits, and you have a recipe for risk.
Why does this matter? Staff are the front line, and when their guard is down, so is your organization. A single click on a bogus invoice or fake login page can mean downtime, lost donor trust, or even legal headaches. For mission-driven nonprofits, a well-timed scam can destroy reputation and funding. For fast-growing startups or SMBs, it can halt business in its tracks.
Recognizing the Modern Holiday Scam: What to Watch For
Cybercriminals rely on a few predictable truths during the holidays:
Employees are busier, less focused, and stepping in and out of the office.
Vendors, partners, and donors often send communications about year-end activities, making it easier for scams to blend in.
Urgency and emotion are on the rise, charities push for donations, while companies process more invoices and expense requests than usual.
In practical terms, here’s what that looks like this year:
AI-Powered Phishing: “Personalized” fake messages that reference real projects, clients, or upcoming company events, often triggered by details found on LinkedIn or company websites.
Business Email Compromise (BEC) 2.0: Attackers use deepfake audio or video to impersonate executives, requesting urgent fund transfers or credential resets.
Fake Holiday Party Invites or Gift Exchanges: These may deliver malware or request sensitive employee information under the guise of HR or management requests.
Vendor or Donation Impersonation: Spoofed emails claiming last-minute invoice changes, supplier payment updates, or urgent donation requests (especially targeting finance or fundraising teams).
The bottom line is: scams have gotten better at looking like business as usual. That’s why we believe proactive education and simple, actionable defense strategies matter more than technical jargon.
Why Traditional Defenses Often Fall Short
Many organizations rely on perimeter defenses, firewalls, antivirus, or the occasional password change. But in 2025, these aren’t enough. Attackers target people, not just systems. The strongest technical defense can crumble if someone grants access or shares credentials. We’ve seen this firsthand, time and again.
Unfortunately, the myth that “our tools have us covered” persists. But the reality? It’s like locking every window in the house, then leaving the front door wide open if an employee gets tricked by a clever email.
This is even more acute for nonprofits, too often, limited budgets mean less training and outdated security protocols. For startups and SMBs scaling fast, onboarding sometimes skips basic security, or leaves holes attackers can find.
Core Principles for Future-Proofing IT Against Holiday Scams
So, what actually helps? After years of supporting organizations in San Francisco and beyond, we’ve learned it comes down to clear, consistent actions and a culture of calm vigilance, not technical heroics.
These are the principles we stand by:
People-First Security: Technology is only as secure as the people using it. We emphasize explainable, actionable training, not just handing out policy PDFs.
Zero Trust Onboarding: Every new device, vendor, or employee starts with minimum access, and access only grows as trust and context are earned.
Proactive Managed IT Services: Scheduled check-ins before and after holidays, plus real-time alerts for suspicious activity, keep you ahead of possible incidents.
Clear Audit Trails and Escalation Paths: When something feels off, your team knows exactly who to call (not a generic help desk), and every incident is calmly documented and addressed.
Investing in future-proofing IT isn’t about constant anxiety or gradual complexity. It’s about systems and processes that quietly reduce risk, so leadership can focus on the bigger mission, especially during busy seasons.
Simple, Actionable Defenses Any Organization Can Deploy
We’re big believers in the “good plumbing” model: reliable systems that work quietly in the background, so you don’t have to think about them every day. Here’s how that looks in practice in 2025, especially for decision-makers who don’t want to wade through jargon or endless app notifications.
1. Multifactor Authentication Everywhere
If there’s one move that immediately cuts risk, it’s enabling MFA, especially on email, payroll, and cloud file systems. When a cybercriminal gets a password, MFA adds a crucial second check that can stop major incidents cold. Don’t let “we’ll set it up next quarter” be the reason your organization has a breach.
2. Simulated Phishing (Without the Shame)
Quarterly (or even monthly) phishing simulations help employees recognize the newest scams, not to catch out individuals, but to identify where more explanation is needed. This shifts your culture from blame to proactive self-defense.
3. Real-Time Threat Alerts
Automated tools that flag suspicious account logins, unexpected attachments, or transfer requests outside business hours shouldn't just go to IT. They should trigger a calm, human check-in, “Did you really need this wire sent at 2am?” Small moments of pause can prevent big problems.
4. Executive and Board Training
Attackers love to impersonate busy leaders. Periodic, no-jargon briefings for the leadership team and board (especially around holidays) give everyone the tools to recognize scams that target authority.
5. Securing Vendor and Donation Channels
For nonprofits, ensuring all donation channels are legitimate, and clearly communicating this to donors, is crucial. For SMBs and startups, always verify sudden changes in vendor payment instructions by phone (and not via the number in a suspicious email).
6. Human, Frictionless Help Desk Access
When something feels “off,” staff should know who to contact, and get through to a real person. Make sure help desk numbers and escalation paths are visible and quick, not buried inside a SharePoint folder.
Mistakes Will Happen: Build a Blame-Free Recovery Plan
Even with all the best practices in place, someone will eventually slip. In reality, the measure of a mature organization isn’t just in preventing incidents, but in how quickly (and calmly) you recover from them.
Document and rehearse simple response plans for suspected scams, who calls whom, how evidence gets collected, and how messaging to donors or customers is handled.
Reemphasize learning, not finger-pointing, after an incident. The goal is to fix the process, not blame the person.
How Future-Proofing IT Is Different From Firefighting
Many organizations only think about cybersecurity when something goes wrong, an approach we see often among teams stuck in “firefighting” mode. Future-proofing IT, especially for nonprofits and startups, is about honest, forward-looking conversations.
Here’s what we mean:
Instead of last-minute software patches, schedule routine vulnerability checks before the holiday rush.
Rather than passive compliance checklists, create “what would you do if…” scenarios relevant to your real workflows.
Move from generic IT tickets to conversations with specialists who understand your organization’s unique risks and priorities.
This shift isn't about running more drills or buying extra tools. It’s about building the muscle memory for quick, smart decisions, so even new threats (like this year’s AI-powered scams) don’t catch you off guard.
Zero Trust Onboarding: Why 2025 Demands a New Approach
Maybe you’ve heard the phrase “Zero Trust,” and felt the buzzword fatigue. We get it. But in practice, Zero Trust onboarding is less about new tools and more about new habits.
For leaders building teams this holiday season, consider:
Every new account or app starts with the minimum necessary access, and only expands as truly needed.
Periodically review who has access to finance, HR, or fundraising systems, not out of suspicion, but for peace of mind.
Remove “former employee” credentials before starting any holiday or year-end shutdowns.
Zero Trust isn’t about paranoia. It’s about setting everyone up for success, so a single oversight doesn’t become a wide-open door for an attacker.
Partnering for Calm Proactivity: Managed IT Services in San Francisco and Beyond
Let’s be honest: most of us didn’t get into nonprofits or grow our companies because we wanted to wrestle with security configurations. The best managed IT services in San Francisco, and nationwide, take on that burden quietly, leaving your team free to focus on mission, revenue, or growth.
Our experience is simple:
We pick up the phone.
We’re proactive, not reactive.
We don’t pitch fancier “firewalls and buzzwords,” we design calm, human-centric systems that let people work, donate, or innovate without fear.
For those leading mission-driven organizations, future-proofing IT isn’t a tech upgrade, it’s a commitment to clearer communication, smarter processes, and an environment where staff and donors alike are confident and secure.
Key Takeaways for Holiday 2025
As you head into the busiest stretch of the year, remember: the strongest shield isn’t a single tool or technology, but a collection of simple, human-centered practices built into the daily rhythms of your organization.
Clearly communicate IT policies, and explain the “why.”
Make it easy (not intimidating) for folks to ask questions or report something suspicious.
Periodically “invite in” a managed intelligence partner to review your posture, especially as your team grows or workloads shift.
About 24hourtek
24hourtek, Inc is a forward thinking managed service provider that offers ongoing IT support and strategic guidance to businesses. We meet with our clients at least once a month to review strategy, security posture, and provide guidance on future-proofing your IT.