How Retailers Can Stay Secure During the Holiday Rush

Holiday traffic brings opportunity and risk. Learn how retailers can protect customers, systems, and revenue during peak season without sowing business down.

Ah, the holidays. The time of year when retailers light up their stores, customers flood their channels, and security teams starts drinking their coffee just a little faster.

With U.S. holiday spending projected to hit $253B this season – a 5.3% bump over last year – it's shaping up to be a big year for ecommerce. And when traffic goes up, so does the noise. Promotions move fast, code gets deployed faster, and seasonal staff rolls in like a small army eager to help, though not always trained for the job.

It’s exciting, it’s busy, and it’s exactly the moment cybercriminals are waiting for.

Why December Feels Like a Magnet for Cyber Trouble

Every retailer knows the holidays bring operational chaos, but the cybersecurity picture is just as intense. Think of it as the perfect blend of:

• More shoppers (and more bots trying to look like shoppers)
• More devices and endpoints including curbside systems, kiosks, apps, and loyalty portals
• More promotions going live with limited time for testing
• More temporary employees who haven’t worked a holiday rush before

It’s not that retailers suddenly get worse at security in December, the environment just gets ten times harder to control.

And cybercriminals are paying attention:

• Phishing attempts spike and mimic major retail brands with eerie accuracy
• Account takeovers climb as attackers test stolen credentials
• Fraud rings get louder and more coordinated
• Attacks get faster and more personalized thanks to easy access to AI

December is peak season for both shoppers and bad actors.

What Retail Security Teams Are Up Against Right Now

Across clients and the broader retail landscape, four challenges show up consistently during the holidays:

1. Credential Stuffing and Account Takeovers

Reused passwords are the gift that keeps on giving... to attackers.

Cybercriminals take credentials from previous breaches and run automated login attempts across retail sites. Once they’re in, they’re not just browsing. They’re changing account emails and addresses, draining loyalty points, making unauthorized purchases, and selling the account access to someone else.

These attacks are fast, automated, and easy to miss because they blend in with normal holiday traffic.

2.  POS Malware and In-Store Card Skimming

In-store systems aren’t off the hook. POS attacks still happen, and they’re still effective – especially when stores get busy and hardware checks fall down the priority list.

Malware and skimmers can sit quietly on devices for weeks. By the time something looks off, thousands of payment cards may already be compromised.

3.  AI-Enhanced Phishing and Fake Promotions

Remember the days of “Dear Customer, Please Kindly Click This Link”?

Those days are over.

Attackers now replicate brand voice, clone email templates, time their messages to match real promotions, and target employees as well as customers. During the holiday rush, people move fast, and that urgency is exactly what phishing campaigns exploit.

4.  Ransomware and DDoS Attacks Targeting Peak Traffic Windows

Attackers are strategic. They hit when the impact will hurt the most:

• During major promotions
• On peak traffic days
• When your website is running hot
• When monitoring coverage is thinner overnight or on weekends

Downtime during the holidays isn’t just inconvenient; it’s expensive.

5.  Third-Party and API Risk Under Peak Load

Holiday traffic places additional strain on third-party platforms and integrations, including payment processors, loyalty providers, marketing tools, and fulfillment partners.

Misconfigured APIs, over-permissioned service accounts, or vendor outages can quickly cascade into customer-facing issues or security incidents. Attackers often exploit these weaker links rather than targeting retailers directly.

Under peak conditions, this risk is harder to spot as traffic patterns change and integration behavior shifts.

What Retailers Can Do to Stay Safe (Without Slowing the Business)

December will always be chaotic, but there are practical, high-impact steps retailers can take to reduce risk without getting in the way of revenue.

1. Lock Down Logins Before Traffic Spikes

Identity-based attacks increase during the holidays because attackers know login systems are under pressure. A few targeted actions make a big difference:

• Require MFA for employees and contractors (especially seasonal hires)
• Add risk-based protections to customer logins such as device checks or behavioral signals  
• Reduce old or unnecessary access permissions
• Watch for unusual login patterns like rapid-fire attempts or impossible travel.

Small changes in authentication can eliminate a large portion of holiday risk.  

2. Tighten Seasonal Staff Access and Training

Seasonal teams aren’t the problem. Missing guardrails are.  

Quick wins include:

• Give seasonal workers only the access they need, nothing more
• Running a short security orientation covering phishing basics, devices, and payment red flags
• Posting visual reminders in break rooms and checkout areas
• Running lightweight phishing simulations during peak weeks

A little prep goes a long way during the busiest time of year.

3. Run a Fast “Holiday Health Check” on Your Systems

This isn’t a full security overhaul. Think of it as checking your tires before a long road trip

Retailers should:

• Test login flows, checkout, rewards, and promotion flows under peak load
• Confirm payment terminals, kiosks, and POS devices are patched and monitored
• Review APIs, integrations, and third-party systems that handle increased traffic
• Validate alerting paths so the right people are notified at the right time

Most incidents happen in blind sports that no one realized were there.

4. Add Extra Eyes on Promotions and Loyalty

Promotions drive revenue, but they also attract fraud.

Smart defenses include:

• Monitoring for rapid new-account creation patterns
• Watching for abnormal device activity or repeated attempts that indicate automation
• Validating your outbound email and SMS so customers can spot fakes
• Using dynamic friction (like sending an extra code) only when something looks risky

This mitigates loyalty point theft, fake promotion abuse, and account takeovers.

5. Prepare for Issues Before They Happen

Even with strong controls, issues can still occur. Planning for response and cleanup closes the loop:

• Confirm on-call coverage for nights, weekends, and peak periods
• Pre-define escalation paths for fraud, outages, and security incidents
• Schedule automatic deprovisioning of seasonal accounts after the holiday rush
• Conduct brief post-mortems on major incidents to improve processes for next season

Being ready for incidents reduces the operation and financial impact if something does go wrong.

Staying Ahead During the Holiday Rush

The holiday season will always be busy, unpredictable, and full of opportunities for both retailers and cybercriminals. the good news is that a few proactive steps can keep operations running smoothly while reducing risk. From securing logins and training seasonal staff to monitoring promotions and preparing for incidents, every action helps protect your business without slowing it down.

Concord’s security team partners with organizations to strengthen defenses, monitor high-risk areas, and respond quickly to incidents. With the right planning and support, retailers can focus on serving customers while keeping their systems, data, and reputation safe throughout the busiest time of the year.

Contact Concord to learn more.