Summer’s over, the inbox is back in “overflow mode” while calendar invites are multiplying.

It’s officially back to business. But while everyone was out recharging, guess who didn’t take a vacation? The threat landscape. No surprises there.

However, back to business shouldn’t mean back to risk. As operations pick up speed after the summer break, it’s time to catch up on emails, meetings and, of course, your cybersecurity priorities.

What happens to your cybersecurity during summer?

The summer months often bring a slower pace for many organizations. But this “slow season” can be deceiving. Data shows that:

• cyberattacks tend to surge during holiday periods, with June 2023 alone seeing a 60% rise;
• phishing attacks increase: according to Phish Enterprise, cybercriminals already exploit human cognitive biases with deceptive tactics, but during the holiday season, they add a twist: travel- and vacation-themed lures that target employees’ more relaxed, less alert mindset. For example:
  
  • in May 2025, there was a 55% increase in newly created holiday- and vacation-related domains compared to the previous year;
  • over 39,000 new vacation-themed domains were registered;
  • 1 in every 21 domains was flagged as malicious or suspicious.

And all of these may happen because, during summer:

• patches and updates get delayed as teams operate with reduced capacity;
• vacations lead to monitoring and response gaps;
• stress-testing and system health checks are often postponed, under the false assumption that quiet periods mean lower risk;
• security awareness efforts fade, especially in hybrid or distributed teams;
• incident response (IR) plans are neglected.

So, now that Q3 is ending, if you haven’t taken a close look at your cybersecurity posture recently, it’s time to do so, especially when attackers expect you to be busiest.

Your “back to business” cybersecurity checklist

As business operations accelerate into Q4, it’s time to close summer gaps, regain control, and prepare for the year’s most high-risk period. Here’s how to refocus your cybersecurity posture, without overwhelming your internal teams.

1. Make sure you’re actually seeing threats

Now’s a great time to implement SOC-as-a-Service with Managed Detection & Response (MDR). This gives you instant access to continuous monitoring, expert threat hunting, and rapid alerting, all without needing to scale your in-house team overnight.

2. Test your response, not your luck

An Incident Response Retainer ensures you’re not alone when it matters most. With predefined SLAs and expert hours secured in advance, you skip the panic and get straight to remediation, backed by a team that already knows your environment.

STRENGTHEN YOUR DEFENSES TODAY!

3. Stress-test your defenses before attackers do

Misconfigurations, unpatched systems, and forgotten assets tend to pile up during slower summer months. Add in changes made under pressure, and your environment may not be as secure as you think.

Start with a full-scope penetration test, ideally coupled with DDoS stress testing. This simulates real-world attack scenarios, highlights weak points in your perimeter, and gives you a practical view of how your systems (and team) hold up under pressure.

FIND AND FIX YOUR WEAK SPOTS!

4. Catch up on compliance, especially around NIS 2

With enforcement deadlines approaching fast, many companies are still unsure if (and how) NIS 2 applies to them. Even if you’re not directly impacted, clients and partners may be, and they’ll start demanding proof of alignment.

A NIS 2 gap assessment conducted by Bit Sentinel helps you identify what’s missing. Understand where you are, map where you need to be, and build a roadmap that addresses both technical controls and organizational readiness before auditors or partners come knocking.

5. Reboot your phishing awareness strategy

As inboxes flood in September, phishing campaigns become more convincing, disguised as internal updates, project kickoffs, HR policy changes, or vendor onboarding emails. It’s the perfect storm for employee error.

Use Phish Enterprise to take back control. Launch simulated attacks tailored to real-world lures, reinforce good habits through targeted training, and gain visibility into risky behaviors, so you can act before someone clicks on the wrong link.

START YOUR AWARENESS TRAINING!

Prioritize now, not in crisis mode

Q4 is your most strategic window to take control before deadlines, renewals, and reviews hit all at once. Acting now allows you to move with purpose, not panic.

This is your opportunity to:

1. Build risk reports that resonate with leadership. With board members and executives demanding clearer visibility into cyber risk, now is the time to move beyond technical jargon. Leverage real threat data and business-aligned impact metrics to show where the organization stands and where it needs to go.
2. Demonstrate control maturity with evidence, not assumptions. Security programs are often judged by how well they’re documented, not just how well they function. Use Q4 to validate your controls through assessments, gap analyses, and hands-on testing that helps you quantify improvements and justify investments.
3. Address vulnerabilities before someone else does. Whether it’s an external auditor, a regulatory body, a major client, or an opportunistic attacker, someone will eventually find the gaps. Prioritizing remediation now helps you stay ahead of scrutiny, meet contractual obligations, and reduce risk exposure before it escalates.
4. Shift your team out of constant firefighting mode. When you’re always reacting, you’re never really protecting. Use this period to offload repetitive tasks, automate where possible, and partner with external experts, so your internal team can focus on what matters most: long-term resilience and strategic goals.

Secure what’s left of 2025 – final takeaways

You’ve got a lot on your plate. Q4 is packed with project deadlines, budgeting cycles, compliance checks, and strategic planning for the year ahead. But if cybersecurity isn’t part of that conversation now, it might become a crisis later.

Remember to:

• Detect threats early and stay alert 24/7
  → With Bit Sentinel’s SOC-as-a-Service & MDR, you get around-the-clock monitoring, threat detection, and expert response, without the cost of building an internal team.
• Be ready before incidents happen
  → Our Incident Response Retainer gives you a safety net: hours reserved, experts on standby, and a clear plan to act fast when things go wrong.
• Identify and fix your security gaps
  → Through penetration testing and DDoS simulations, we help you uncover misconfigurations, unpatched systems, and real vulnerabilities before attackers do.
• Close the gap on NIS 2 compliance
  → We guide you through a structured NIS 2 gap assessment, then build a clear, tailored roadmap to help both IT teams and leadership take meaningful action.
• Prevent the wrong clicks
  → With Phish Enterprise, you can test, train, and track employee behavior to reduce phishing risks, especially when seasonal lures are at their peak.
  

You don’t have to solve every security challenge alone – or all at once. At Bit Sentinel, we empower executives to prioritize what truly matters: driving business growth with confidence.

Our expert team helps you strengthen your cybersecurity posture, reduce risk, and accelerate progress before year-end. While we manage the complexities of cyber defense, you stay focused on innovation, efficiency, and long-term value.

Let us be your trusted cybersecurity partner – so you can lead securely and scale smarter.

LET’S SECURE YOUR FUTURE!