Holiday Rush, Cyber Crush: Why Retailers Are Prime Ransomware Targets This Season

The holiday shopping rush has always been the retail industry’s busiest—and riskiest—time of year. 

But 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 normal 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 the 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.

Ransomware Attacks Are 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. In other words, today’s retail threats aren’t limited to ransomware—they’re part of a broader, interconnected web of digital 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.

So how can retailers stay ahead of attackers who thrive on speed, distraction, and chaos? The answer lies in moving from reactive to preemptive defense.

How Morphisec Helps Retailers Stay Ahead of Holiday Cyber Threats

Morphisec’s Automated Moving Target Defense (AMTD) is deception technology takes the predictability away from attackers. 

By morphing the memory structure of endpoints, servers, and POS systems at runtime, Morphisec ensures that exploits and ransomware cannot find the fixed addresses they depend on to execute. This stops the most advanced attacks—including zero-days and fileless malware—before they can run, without relying on detection or signatures.

For retailers, that means your most critical systems—checkout terminals, warehouse workstations, and back-office servers—are shielded from exploitation even when attackers have valid credentials or have bypassed other defenses.

Morphisec also provides deception-based early detection. Its lightweight decoys sit quietly in key parts of the environment, designed to trigger alerts only when genuine malicious activity occurs. During the noisy holiday season, these traps deliver clarity amid chaos, ensuring that SOC teams aren’t overwhelmed by false positives while critical incidents go unnoticed.

Retailers also benefit from Morphisec’s lightweight, set-and-forget deployment. The solution installs in minutes, requires virtually no ongoing management, and operates silently in the background—an essential advantage when uptime, checkout speeds, and operational continuity are paramount.

Most importantly, Morphisec enables true preemptive defense. 

Traditional tools react after an attack has been identified; Morphisec stops threats before they can execute. That means fewer incidents to respond to, fewer ransomware disruptions, and a holiday season focused on customers—not crisis management.

The Countdown Is On: Stop Ransomware Before It Stops You

Every hour between now and the holidays, attackers are scanning, probing, and testing retail systems—looking for one overlooked configuration, one unpatched service, one distracted click. Once they’re in, the countdown begins: ransomware spreads in minutes, payment systems grind to a halt, and the pressure to pay skyrockets.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. 

A single hour of downtime can cost a retailer millions in lost sales, not to mention brand reputation that takes months to rebuild. And as ransom demands climb past $2 million and phishing attacks spike nearly 700% during peak season, the math is simple. Waiting to react is a losing strategy.

Morphisec turns that equation upside down. 

By preventing attacks from executing in the first place, you’re not scrambling to recover—you’re operating confidently through the chaos. You’re protecting your stores, your customers, and your bottom line before the threat can take hold.

Holiday sales should test your fulfillment speed, not your incident response plan. With Morphisec, your defense is already in motion—so when ransomware comes knocking, it finds nothing but dead ends.

Book a personalized demo today and see how Morphisec can protect your business this holiday season and beyond.

About the author

Brad LaPorte

Chief Marketing Officer

Brad LaPorte is a seasoned cybersecurity expert and former military officer specializing in cybersecurity and military intelligence for the United States military and allied forces. With a distinguished career at Gartner as a top-rated research analyst, Brad was instrumental in establishing key industry categories such as Attack Surface Management (ASM), Extended Detection & Response (XDR), Digital Risk Protection (DRP), and the foundational elements of Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM). His forward-thinking approach led to the inception of Secureworks’ MDR service and the EDR product Red Cloak—industry firsts. At IBM, he spearheaded the creation of the Endpoint Security Portfolio, as well as MDR, Vulnerability Management, Threat Intelligence, and Managed SIEM offerings, further solidifying his reputation as a visionary in cybersecurity solutions years ahead of its time.