The holiday season is fast approaching. With it comes an increase in online shopping -- which could mean an increase in cybercrime. With online sales expected to grow by 4.8% this holiday season, according to Salesforce, cybercriminals will look to exploit the surge in digital transactions. Employee cybersecurity should be very important for business owners at this time, as a data breach could result in the theft of customer information, financial losses and reputational damage.

All businesses are susceptible to cybercrime, but especially for companies with remote workforces, the holidays present an additional challenge in ensuring that employee cybersecurity remains strong. As of August 2023, over 10% of all workers in the U.S. were entirely remote, with an even larger percentage adopting hybrid schedules. This shift in work environments, while beneficial in some ways, has created new vulnerabilities as remote workers are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals. According to a study by Barracuda Networks, 46% of businesses experienced a cybersecurity incident within the first two months of shifting to remote work.

With increased online shopping and the rise in remote work, it is paramount that business owners give their employees the skills to avoid cybercrime. To protect your business during this high-risk time, here are five easy ways to improve your employees' cybersecurity around the holidays.