According to Infosecurity Magazine, Huntsman Security analyzed UK data breach reports from Q3 2024 through Q2 2025 and found only minor seasonal fluctuations in retail incidents. The retail and manufacturing sector reported 1,381 total incidents, with just 355 in the busy Q4 holiday period compared to 323 in Q3. The data shows similar patterns since 2019, with 618 retail breaches specifically attributed to brute force attacks, misconfigurations, malware, phishing and ransomware. Meanwhile, UK shoppers lost £11.8 million to online shopping fraud during last year’s festive season from November 2024 through January 2025. Security experts note that while retailers might not face increased direct attacks, consumers are definitely being targeted through thousands of fake e-commerce sites.
The retail security reality check
Here’s the thing that might surprise you: all those warnings about holiday cyberattacks targeting retailers? They might be overblown. The data shows retail breaches don’t actually spike during Black Friday and Christmas shopping seasons in any statistically significant way. Even when you look at massive incidents like the M&S and Co-Op ransomware attacks that happened outside the holiday period, the numbers stay remarkably consistent. So why does everyone assume hackers ramp up during holidays? Probably because it feels like they should – retailers are distracted, systems are under strain, and the potential payoff seems bigger. But the data tells a different story.
Where the real threat lies
Now, this doesn’t mean everything’s fine. While retailers might not be getting hit harder during holidays, consumers absolutely are. CloudSEK has identified over 2,000 fake e-commerce sites ready to trick shoppers this season. These aren’t your grandma’s basic scam sites either – we’re talking AI-powered operations with Amazon-themed typosquatted domains, fake trust badges, and sophisticated pop-ups that simulate recent purchases. They’re impersonating major brands like Samsung and Ray-Ban, and they’ll be pushed through phishing messages designed to look legit. Basically, the attackers have shifted their focus from breaking into retailer systems to tricking consumers directly. And it’s working – £11.8 million in losses last festive season proves that.
The weekend warrior problem
But wait – there’s a counterargument worth considering. A Semperis report found that 52% of ransomware attacks in the past year happened on weekends or holidays. That’s not nothing. And when you see threat groups like Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters posting on Telegram about coming for customer databases during the holidays, you have to take notice. So what’s the truth? It seems like while overall breach numbers might not spike, the nature of attacks might change during low-staffing periods. Attackers know security teams are stretched thin or taking time off, making it the perfect time for more sophisticated, targeted operations rather than volume attacks.
What this means for everyone
For retailers, the message is clear: stop worrying about seasonal spikes and focus on year-round security. As Huntsman’s Piers Wilson noted, continuous assurance matters more than holiday panic. For consumers? Be extra vigilant about those package tracking messages and too-good-to-be-true deals. SecurityScorecard’s Steve Cobb puts it perfectly: “Take a few extra seconds to verify the message.” The holiday threat landscape has evolved – it’s less about crashing retailer systems and more about tricking individual shoppers. And honestly, that might be harder to defend against than any technical attack.
