As the holidays approach, most companies focus on wrapping up projects and planning well-earned time off. But for IT leaders, this season also brings a hidden danger: insider threats.

While cybercriminals outside your organization make headlines, many breaches come from the inside—employees, contractors, or compromised accounts. And the risk grows when offices are short-staffed and attention shifts to travel and celebrations.

The Seasonal Risk Nobody Talks About

The end of the year is a perfect storm for insider risk:

  • Reduced Oversight: With key personnel out, fewer eyes are watching the network.
  • Temporary or Shared Access: Fill-in staff and contractors often get elevated permissions that linger after they leave.
  • Rushed Off-Boarding: Departing employees sometimes retain logins or VPN access longer than they should.
  • Remote Work Gaps: People connecting from home or personal devices can easily blur security lines.

These conditions create opportunity for both malicious activity and careless mistakes that can lead to serious data loss.

Understanding Insider Threats

Not all insider threats are intentional. They typically fall into three categories:

  1. Malicious Insiders – Individuals who knowingly steal data or damage systems.
  2. Negligent Insiders – Well-meaning employees who mishandle sensitive information or fall for phishing attacks.
  3. Compromised Insiders – Accounts taken over by outside attackers using stolen credentials.

No matter the type, the result is the same: unauthorized access to your most critical data.

Real-World Scenarios

  • A team member saves files to a personal cloud drive before vacation “just in case.”
  • A departing employee downloads client data on their last day.
  • A hacker logs in using stolen credentials while the IT manager is on PTO.

In each case, it’s not a complex hack—it’s a gap in process and visibility. And during the holidays, those gaps get wider.

How to Protect Your Business Before PTO Season

1. Review and Revoke Access

Audit who has admin rights and remove or limit access for anyone who doesn’t need it. Disable accounts for former employees immediately.

2. Require MFA Everywhere

Multi-Factor Authentication prevents most credential-based attacks and should be mandatory across systems and remote access.

3. Monitor Activity 24/7

Even when your team is away, systems like SpartanTec’s SecureGuard360 can flag unusual logins, data transfers, or new devices instantly.

4. Update Your Remote Work Policies

Ensure all remote access goes through secured VPNs. Block personal email or cloud storage for sensitive data.

5. Educate and Remind Your Team

A pre-holiday refresher on what’s allowed—and what’s not—can prevent accidents and reinforce accountability.

The Human Side of Security

Preventing insider threats isn’t about suspicion—it’s about setting everyone up for success. Employees should understand why monitoring and access reviews matter. Transparency builds trust, and trust builds stronger security habits.

Before You Go…

Before you hang that “Out of Office” sign, make sure your network doesn’t take a holiday too.
Let SpartanTec help you:

Schedule your Year-End Security & Access Review

We’ll verify user permissions, confirm monitoring coverage, and make sure your data stays protected—so you can enjoy your holidays worry-free.

Schedule Here:  https://www.spartantec.com/discoverycall/