The holiday shopping rush has always been the retail industry’s busiest and riskiest time of year. As e-commerce traffic, in-store digital systems, and supply-chain automation have evolved, so too have attackers.
The weeks surrounding Black Friday and Cyber Monday now represent a perfect storm for cybercrime: overwhelmed IT teams, record transaction volumes, and high operational stakes make retailers a prime target for ransomware and other cyberattacks.
In 2025, the median ransom demand in the retail sector reached $2 million, nearly doubling from the previous year. That’s not just an indicator of rising attack frequency it’s proof that attackers understand the leverage they hold during peak shopping periods.
At the same time, phishing attacks designed around Black Friday deals have exploded. Darktrace reported a 692% surge in holiday-themed phishing emails during November 2024 alone.
Each year, threat actors capitalize on the chaos of the shopping season to blend malicious activity into everyday business operations, hiding their exploits among legitimate spikes in traffic and transactions.
Recent high-profile incidents underscore how disruptive these attacks can be. Just this year in Japan, Muji was forced to suspend online sales after its logistics partner, Askul, was hit by ransomware an event that rippled through the company’s fulfillment operations.
In the UK, a ransomware attack on retail software provider Blue Yonder disrupted operations for major global brands like Starbucks, Sainsbury’s, and Morrisons, demonstrating how one compromised vendor can impact countless others downstream.
For retailers, the takeaway is clear: even if you secure your own environment, a single weak link in your digital supply chain can open the door to massive disruption.
Exploiting Security Gaps
The origins of these attacks vary, but the patterns are disturbingly consistent. Nearly half of all retail ransomware cases stem from unknown security gaps blind spots in visibility, misconfigurations, or overlooked vulnerabilities that attackers quietly exploit.
Phishing remains one of the most common entry points, often used to harvest credentials that enable lateral movement deeper into networks.
Meanwhile, automated bots now account for the majority of online retail traffic, with many deployed for credential stuffing, gift card abuse, and API exploitation.
Holiday shopping seasons amplify these risks. Attackers know that retailers can’t afford downtime when customers are filling carts and payment systems are running hot.
They also know that IT and security teams are stretched thin managing seasonal infrastructure changes, vendor integrations, and higher transaction volumes.
That’s why cybercriminals time their campaigns for maximum pressure the same operational urgency that drives sales also drives ransom payments.
Moving from Reactive to Preemptive Defense
The stakes couldn’t be higher. A single hour of downtime can cost a retailer millions in lost sales, not to mention the brand reputation that takes months to rebuild.
And as ransom demands climb past $2 million and phishing attacks spike nearly 700% during peak season, waiting to react is a losing strategy.
Retailers must shift to preemptive defense strategies that prevent attacks from executing in the first place.
This includes implementing advanced endpoint protection, deploying deception technologies, and ensuring comprehensive visibility across all digital touchpoints. Holiday sales should test fulfillment speed, not incident response plans.
By adopting preventative security measures now, retailers can operate confidently through the chaos protecting their stores, customers, and bottom line before threats can take hold.
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