Cybercriminals frequently time their attacks to coincide with holidays, weekends, and other off-hours when organizations are least prepared to respond. A 2024 Semperis industry study found that an overwhelming 86 percent of ransomware victims were targeted on weekends or holidays, and FBI/CISA advisories have warned that attackers view holiday weekends as “attractive timeframes” for intrusion (CBS News).
In short, when offices are closed and many staff are away, defenses are often weaker and attackers have a wider window to strike undetected.
Multiple factors make holiday and after-hours periods ripe for attacks. Staffing and monitoring typically drop sharply when regular employees are off duty. Semperis found that 85 percent of organizations with 24/7 Security Operations Centers (SOCs) deliberately reduce staffing by as much as half on weekends or holidays (Semperis, CBS News).
With “fewer eyes on dashboards, reduced monitoring and slower response times” (Security Magazine), attackers know it will take longer for defenders to notice an intrusion. In one survey, 60 percent of organizations reported that weekend or holiday attacks took longer to assess and respond to, and 50 percent said it took longer to mount an effective response (Cybereason).
Another study showed that 36 percent of victims believed an attack succeeded specifically because there was no contingency plan and only limited staff to respond (Cybereason). Put simply, when defenders step back for a holiday, attackers step forward.
Many detection and alert systems assume around-the-clock coverage; when defenders thin out, subtle warning signals can slip by. As Wired notes, “ransomware can take time to propagate through a network… The longer it takes for anyone to notice, the more damage they can do” (Wired).
Defenders are often “poolside” or slower to respond over holidays (Wired), so attackers can escalate privileges and encrypt critical systems before a remedy is mounted. Ransom note submissions also spike on Monday mornings, after victims return from the weekend to find systems encrypted (Wired).
Many businesses assume they “won’t be targeted” during off-hours, or they scale back security staffing to give teams a break (TechInformed, Cybereason). Semperis reports that 90 percent of U.S. companies admitted cutting their SOC staffing by up to 50% on holidays and weekends (CBS News).
Former National Cyber Director Chris Inglis warned that by understaffing during these high-risk periods, “the advantage goes to the attacker, because they’re not taking a day off” (CBS News).
Cybercriminals have strong incentives to strike when victims are weakest. Launching an attack just before or during a holiday gives attackers more time to infect systems and demand payment before detection.
As Darktrace analysts explain, attackers pick holidays because “there will be fewer eyeballs on screens defending against threats.”
High-profile examples include:
Criminals also know outages during holidays create more public pressure on victims to pay quickly.
The most common holiday/off-hours threat. Nearly all recent high-profile holiday attacks involved ransomware. CISA and FBI cite repeated holiday-weekend incidents against critical infrastructure (CISA).
Studies show 76 percent of ransomware encryptions occur after hours or on weekends (Security Affairs).
Cybercriminals will continue to exploit “quiet times” when organizations are off guard. As experts emphasize, “cyber threats don’t take a holiday” (TechInformed).
With 86 percent of severe attacks hitting during off-hours (Semperis, CBS News), round-the-clock vigilance is no longer optional—it’s essential.
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