Information Security News: Top Cyber Threats for Retailers This Holiday Season—and How to Defend Against Them

As the holiday season approaches, retail businesses anticipate their busiest time of year, which also means preparing for an increase in cyber threats. According to a recent report by Imperva, retailers face growing security risks, particularly as cybercriminals leverage AI to scale and enhance their attacks. Here are the main threats retailers can expect—and practical tips for countering them.

Understanding the Threat Landscape

In the ever-evolving world of cybersecurity, staying ahead of the latest threats and vulnerabilities is crucial. The latest cybersecurity news is replete with stories of data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other sophisticated cyber threats. To effectively defend against these, it’s essential to understand the threat landscape and the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) employed by threat actors.

One of the most significant threats today comes from Chinese threat actors. Known for their advanced tactics and techniques, these actors often exploit zero-day vulnerabilities and employ social engineering to infiltrate systems. For instance, Rockwell Automation, a leading provider of industrial control systems, has previously been targeted by these sophisticated actors.

To protect against such threats, organizations must stay informed about the latest cybersecurity news and trends. This involves keeping up-to-date with emerging vulnerabilities and threats, and implementing robust security controls and incident response plans. By doing so, organizations can better safeguard their systems and data from potential breaches.

Initial Access: The First Step in a Cyber Attack

Initial access is the critical first step in any cyber attack, and it’s often the most challenging to defend against. Threat actors use a variety of tactics to gain initial access to a network or system, including phishing, spear phishing, and exploiting known vulnerabilities. Once inside, they can move laterally within the network, escalate privileges, and steal sensitive data.

Preventing initial access requires a multi-faceted approach. Organizations should implement robust security controls such as multi-factor authentication, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and regular vulnerability scanning and patching. Additionally, educating employees about the risks of phishing and other social engineering tactics is essential.

Recent cybersecurity news has highlighted several high-profile cases where initial access was gained through phishing attacks. For example, a recent attack on a healthcare organization resulted in the theft of sensitive patient data. The attacker used a phishing email to gain initial access to the network, underscoring the importance of vigilance and robust security measures.

1. Business Logic Abuse: Using AI to Exploit Retail Systems

Business logic abuse leads the list, making up 30.7% of all AI-driven attacks on retail platforms. This type of attack occurs when bad actors manipulate a system’s intended functionality for unauthorized benefits. For example, cybercriminals may abuse promotional codes or exploit refund policies to extract discounts or goods fraudulently. Recently, two zero day vulnerabilities in PTZOptics pan-tilt-zoom live streaming cameras have been discovered and are being exploited by hackers, raising concerns across various sectors including industrial, healthcare, and government settings.

AI significantly amplifies these threats by detecting patterns in user behavior and identifying exploitable loopholes. For retailers, the solution lies in stringent monitoring and validation. Implementing tools that track unusual user actions and validate inputs can prevent malicious behavior from slipping through undetected.

2. DDoS Attacks and Zero Day Vulnerabilities: A Growing Menace

Nearly as frequent as business logic abuse, Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks represent 30.6% of AI-driven threats to retail sites. These attacks can overwhelm websites, especially during peak holiday traffic, rendering them unusable for legitimate customers. And the impact isn’t just operational—downtime can mean substantial revenue loss and reputational damage.

To counter this threat, retailers should invest in DDoS protection solutions that use machine learning to filter and mitigate malicious traffic before it disrupts operations. This ensures smooth, uninterrupted service for real customers, even during high-traffic periods.

3. Grinch Bots: AI-Powered Scalping and Scraping

Bots programmed to act like human users—commonly known as “Grinch bots” around the holidays—comprise 20.8% of attacks. These bots are notorious for snapping up high-demand items, often with the intent to resell them at inflated prices. They can also scrape price data, perform credential-stuffing attacks, and create fake accounts, all of which disrupt holiday sales and customer satisfaction.

Retailers can mitigate bot traffic by implementing advanced bot management strategies. Key tactics include identifying abnormal traffic patterns, limiting the actions of headless browsers, and rate-limiting requests from suspect IP addresses. A robust bot management system helps retailers ensure that customers, not bots, get first dibs on popular products.

4. API Violations: A Weak Link in the Chain for Threat Actors

With retailers increasingly relying on APIs to support online transactions and integrate third-party services, API security is more critical than ever. API violations make up 16.1% of AI-driven attacks, exposing retailers to risks like data breaches and unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Retailers can fortify their API security by setting strict access controls, conducting regular audits, and using monitoring tools to spot abnormal activity. Setting a baseline for expected API behavior also helps identify unusual traffic spikes that could indicate an attempted breach.

Cybersecurity Tips for a Safe Holiday Season

To safeguard operations during this peak season, retailers should consider the following strategies:

• Scale Up for High Traffic: Prepare infrastructure to handle increased online traffic. This includes server scaling, deploying a content delivery network (CDN) for balanced load distribution, and, if necessary, a waiting room queuing system to manage peak surges.

• Implement a Bot Management Strategy: Separate legitimate users from automated bot traffic. Focus on identifying bots by tracking unusual traffic behaviors, blocking outdated user agents, and limiting actions from known proxies.

• Monitor Business Logic for Abnormalities: Prevent business logic abuse by enforcing input validation, detecting activity anomalies, and conducting regular audits to spot potential vulnerabilities.

• Invest in DDoS Protection: Deploy DDoS mitigation tools that use machine learning to differentiate between legitimate and malicious traffic, ensuring continued website accessibility for real customers.

• Secure API Connections: Set up expected behavior baselines for APIs, establish strict access protocols, and monitor usage patterns to prevent abuse and unauthorized access.

Securing Online Shopping Platforms

Online shopping platforms are prime targets for cybercriminals, especially during the holiday season. Threat actors use various tactics to steal sensitive data and disrupt operations, making robust security measures essential. One of the most significant threats to these platforms is the exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities, which can provide unauthorized access to sensitive data and disrupt services.

To protect against these threats, organizations must stay informed about the latest cybersecurity news and trends. Implementing robust security controls, such as encryption, secure payment processing, and regular vulnerability scanning and patching, is crucial.

This holiday season, as AI-driven threats grow in sophistication, retailers must stay vigilant. By investing in robust security measures, retailers can ensure a secure shopping experience for customers, protecting both their revenue and reputation.