October Is Cybersecurity Awareness Month — But the Scammers Didn’t Get the Memo. #cyberscams
- hello373474
- 14 hours ago
- 3 min read
Every October, organizations are reminded that it’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month. But let’s be honest — cybercriminals don’t wait for October. They strike when your guard is down: during long weekends, holidays, or when your IT director is finally taking that much-needed vacation.
At Hawki IT, we’ve seen it time and again — the weakest link isn’t just technology. It’s distraction, fatigue, and misplaced trust. And attackers know exactly when to exploit it.
The Holiday Hacker’s Playbook
Fraudsters and threat actors thrive on chaos. They know businesses are short-staffed, approvals are rushed, and vendor invoices are flying in. During the holidays, fraud attempts spike for several reasons:
Reduced staff coverage — Key personnel are offline or unavailable.
Rushed approvals — Invoices and payments get green-lit without scrutiny.
Vendor overload — More vendor activity means more opportunities for impersonation.
Urgency tactics — Attackers pressure teams with “final payment” or “urgent system alert” messages.
But the most dangerous threat may not come from a hacker — it can come from someone pretending to help.
Beware of “Cyber Rescuers” Who Are Actually Part of the Cyberscam
An alarming trend is growing: fraudulent “cyber remediation” firms that prey on businesses right after an attack.
These groups often pose as security experts or recovery specialists, promising quick fixes and total resolution. In reality, some are connected to the same threat actors — or simply exploit your crisis for profit.
Here’s what they do:
Pressure you to sign a contract immediately, while you’re still reeling from the incident.
Claim they can “negotiate” with hackers and insist you pay the ransom.
Charge $200+/hour per "expert", and then flood your calls with multiple “experts” — all billing by the hour.
Keep their cameras off, making it impossible to know who’s actually on the call, and their location.
Add inflated expenses — fuel, meals, “emergency surcharges,” holiday/weekend surcharges and administrative fees.
Drain your entire cybersecurity remediation budget, leaving your systems still at risk.
Some even claim to be military veterans or cyber command specialists to gain your trust — but can you really verify that when your systems are down?
And the fine print? It’s often even worse. Many of these contracts include clauses that:
Waive your right to sue them for damages, no matter what they do.
Disclaim all responsibility or guarantee of results.
Protect them, not you, when things go sideways.
So before you sign anything, read the contract line by line. If the company refuses to stand behind their work — why hire them in the first place?
Don’t be afraid to cut through the BS: Ask to see who’s on every call, confirm who’s billable, and demand full transparency before another dollar leaves your account. The good guys will be upfront. The scammers will deflect.
How to Stay Vigilant Year-Round
Fraud awareness isn’t a campaign — it’s a mindset. Here’s how to keep your business and IT posture strong 24/7/365:
🔍 1. Verify Before You Engage
Never sign a contract under pressure or emotional stress.
Ask for references, insurance certificates, and a defined scope of work.
Confirm any “cyber remediation” firm’s independence, credentials, and guarantees.
🔐 2. Strengthen Your Defenses
Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all platforms.
Audit access privileges quarterly.
Implement continuous monitoring and endpoint detection and response (EDR).
📊 3. Review Vendor and Supply Chain Security
Conduct vendor access reviews quarterly.
Require partners to meet minimum cybersecurity standards.
Use secure portals, not email attachments, for sensitive data.
👥 4. Train Your Team Before Every Major Holiday
Run phishing simulations and tabletop exercises.
Reinforce “trust but verify” for all vendor and payment communications.
Establish a clear escalation path for suspicious activity.
🧩 5. Build the Right Partnerships — Before You Need Them
Have your incident response plan documented and tested.
Partner with an honest, transparent IT team that already knows your environment.
Build relationships with verified cybersecurity partners — not opportunists.
The Hawki IT Difference: No Panic. No Pressure. No BS.
When something goes wrong, you don’t need scare tactics — you need a partner you can trust.
At Hawki IT, our no-BS team helps businesses prepare, respond, and recover with precision and honesty. We’ll help you build your incident response plan, strengthen your infrastructure, and if something happens, we’ll bring in the right vetted partners — not ransom negotiators or padded-hour consultants.
We’re here to help you:
Build and test your Incident Response Plan.
Assess your security posture and vendor exposure.
Respond with clarity and control — not chaos.
Let’s Make Fraud Awareness a Year-Round Mission
Fraud doesn’t take time off — and neither should your security strategy.
👉 Talk to our team today to strengthen your defenses and get your incident response plan in place before the next phishing wave hits.
