Black Friday isn’t just a day—it’s a phenomenon. In 2023, UK shoppers spent a staggering £8.74 billion during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with online retail driving much of the sales. For small business owners, it’s a golden opportunity to boost revenue, but it also comes with risks: cybercriminals often target businesses during high-traffic periods to exploit vulnerabilities.
Small business owners must be aware of the dangers and potential pitfalls they could face during busy trading periods like Black Friday, in particular from a cyber perspective. With the advent of AI, scammers are becoming more sophisticated in their tactics. Furthermore, Safeguarding customer data during Black Friday is essential—not just for legal compliance but to build trust and ensure a seamless shopping experience.
In this blog we’ll explore how you can stay secure and protect your customers this Black Friday with helpful tips and simple steps to improve your security posture ahead of this busy trading period.
The Hidden Risks of Black Friday
Picture this: it’s Black Friday and your online store is buzzing with activity. Visitors are browsing, carts are filling up, and sales are flowing in. As a small business owner, you’ve probably crafted special offers, put some marketing effort into promotion or perhaps created special products or services to tie in with Black Friday. There often is a huge focus on the pre-delivery of sales activity - but amidst the excitement, a cybercriminal is scanning your website for weaknesses.
Black Friday creates the perfect storm for security risks:
- Traffic surges can overload systems, leaving gaps for attackers to exploit.
- Data-rich transactions make you a goldmine for hackers targeting credit card numbers and addresses.
- Fraudulent schemes, like phishing attacks or fake accounts, can slip through during the chaos.
These risks aren’t just hypothetical. During the 2023 Christmas season, Individuals in the UK lost over £11.5m* to scams, according to statistics, which is nearly £1m higher than the same timeframe in 2022. Are your security measures adequate to protect your business from an attack?
Empowering Customers to Shop Safely
While securing your own systems is critical, empowering your customers to protect themselves can be just as impactful. When they feel safe shopping with you, their trust in your business grows. Here’s a few helpful hints to get you started.
Start by helping customers spot secure websites. Encourage them to look for the padlock symbol and HTTPS in the browser bar before entering personal information. Fraudsters often create fake websites with ‘too-good-to-be-true' offers, so remind customers to double-check the legitimacy of the sites they visit.
Passwords are another simple yet powerful defence, share tips for creating strong, unique passwords and recommend password managers for easy management.
Finally, highlight the importance of two-factor authentication (2FA) for added security—customers who use it are far less likely to fall victim to account theft.
By guiding your customers with these practical tips, you’re not just improving their safety—you’re showing that you value their trust.
Why Does Data Protection Matter for Retailers?
When customers share their personal information with you, they trust you to keep it safe. A data breach not only damages that trust but could also lead to fines under regulations like the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). For small businesses, even a minor incident can have lasting financial and reputational consequences.
Good data practices aren’t just about compliance—they’re also a competitive advantage. Customers are more likely to shop with businesses that prioritise their privacy, fostering loyalty and repeat sales.
5 Key Steps Every Small Business Needs to Protect Customer Data
It can be difficult to know where to begin with best practice in protecting Customer Data. Here’s five simple steps to get started as a small business owner.
1. Collect Only What You Need
When data breaches occur, the less you’ve collected, the less you risk losing. Stick to essentials like names, emails, and shipping details. Avoid storing sensitive information like credit card numbers unnecessarily.
2. Use Trusted Payment Systems
A secure checkout process is non-negotiable. Partner with PCI-DSS compliant payment providers and use HTTPS encryption across your website. These measures protect sensitive payment data and reassure customers that they can shop with confidence.
3. Strengthen Your Data Storage
Customer data should always be encrypted and stored in secure, centralised databases. Regularly back up your data so you’re prepared to recover quickly if a breach occurs. For further details, check out our post on data recovery.
4. Test Your Defences
Conduct regular security audits, including vulnerability scans and penetration testing. These checks ensure your systems can withstand high-pressure periods like Black Friday.
5. Prepare for the Worst
No system is foolproof, which is why having a clear incident response plan is critical. Equip your team with the knowledge and tools to respond quickly to any threats that arise.
A Secure Black Friday Starts Here
At ITUS Protect, we specialise in helping businesses like yours stay secure during high-stakes sales events. Whether it’s strengthening your website or providing expert advice, our team is here to support you.
Follow us on LinkedIn and X/Twitter for more cybersecurity tips or contact us for a consultation.
Sources
Wood, Zoe. “Black Friday turning into Black Fraud Day, says UK cybersecurity chief” The Guardian, 18th November 2024
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/nov/18/black-friday-turning-into-black-day-says-uk-cybersecurity-chief
