The holiday season is a busy time for everyone — staff taking leave, reduced clinic hours, and skeleton teams keeping things running. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the highest-risk periods for IT issues and cyber security incidents.
At SkyComm, we often see businesses return in January to unexpected IT problems that could have been avoided with a simple pre-holiday check. To help you stay protected and stress-free, here’s a practical Holiday Season IT Checklist for medical practices and small businesses.
1. Confirm Your Backups Are Working
Backups are your safety net — but only if they’re actually running and restorable.
Before the holidays:
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Confirm backups are running daily
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Ensure backups are stored off-site or in the cloud
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Test at least one backup restore
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Check backup alerts are being monitored
For medical practices, reliable backups are critical for patient data, compliance, and business continuity.
2. Watch Out for Holiday Cyber Scams
Cyber attacks and phishing emails spike during holiday periods when businesses are distracted or understaffed.
Common holiday risks include:
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Fake delivery or courier emails
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“Urgent” invoice or payment requests
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Staff using personal devices while covering shifts
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Reduced IT oversight
Make sure:
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Staff are reminded not to click suspicious links
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Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enabled
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Antivirus and security tools are up to date
3. Review Staff Access & Passwords
If staff are going on extended leave, it’s a good time to review system access.
Consider:
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Removing access for staff who no longer work with you
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Ensuring shared accounts are avoided
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Resetting passwords where access has been widely shared
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Confirming admin access is limited to the right people
This is especially important for clinical software, email, and cloud systems.
4. Check Printers, Hardware & Internet Stability
Nothing disrupts a quiet holiday clinic faster than a printer or internet failure.
Before closing:
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Check printer toner levels
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Confirm scanners and EFTPOS devices are working
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Restart key systems to apply updates
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Ensure internet and Wi-Fi are stable
A quick health check can save an urgent call-out later.
5. Know Your After-Hours IT Support Plan
If something does go wrong during the break, do your staff know what to do?
Make sure:
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Emergency IT contact details are clearly documented
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After-hours support arrangements are understood
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Key contacts know how to escalate issues
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Login details are stored securely and accessible if needed
6. Plan for a Smooth January Return
A little planning now means a smoother start to the new year.
Helpful steps include:
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Scheduling updates or upgrades for January
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Reviewing Windows 10 / Windows 11 readiness
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Planning hardware replacements
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Booking an early-year IT review
Need a Pre-Holiday IT Check?
A short IT review before the holiday break can help prevent downtime, data loss, and security incidents — especially for medical practices and professional businesses.
📞 Call SkyComm on 1800 957 977
📧 Email us at admin@skycomm.com.au
We’ll help ensure your systems are secure, stable, and ready — so you can enjoy your break with peace of mind.