The period after Black Friday is often treated as a period of rest for retailers, but it is precisely when cyber risks increase. According to the Consumer Pulse report, 73% of consumers say they fear digital fraud in holiday shopping, and the country recorded a 7.7% increase in suspected digital fraud between Black Friday Thursday and Cyber Monday, compared to the rest of 2024.
These numbers show that post-campaign monitoring is just as important as security strategies during peak sales. For José Miguel, pre-sales manager at Unentel, it's not enough to breathe a sigh of relief after the sales peak, because that's exactly when the most silent attacks begin. "We see many cases where retailers close the day celebrating the results and, minutes later, internal systems are already being scanned by intruders," he says.
To transform this window of risk into a strategic advantage, three fundamental practices are recommended:
1. Maintain continuous monitoring, even after the peak.
During Black Friday, teams are usually on high alert, but when sales volume drops, the level of attention doesn't decrease. It's at this point that hackers exploit forgotten login credentials, temporary passwords, and logged-in environments. A 24/7 active monitoring system ensures that no suspicious activity goes unnoticed.
2. Review logs and identify out-of-the-ordinary behavior.
The high volume of transactions makes it difficult to analyze suspicious events during the peak. After Black Friday, it's time to review logs in detail and identify anomalous patterns, such as out-of-hours access, authentications from different locations, or improper data transfers.
3. Terminate temporary access and review integrations.
Seasonal campaigns create a series of credentials and integrations with partners, marketplaces, and external APIs. Leaving these accesses active after the event is a common mistake that increases the risk of intrusion. An immediate audit after the campaign ends is essential to mitigate vulnerabilities.
“Treating the post-campaign period as a time for relaxation is a mistake. Digital security needs to keep pace with the business, even on days when sales decrease,” concludes José.
