Even a short Christmas closure changes something important about IT risk: for a week or two, nobody's around to notice if something goes wrong. A failed backup, a licence renewal, or a security update that needs attention can sit unnoticed for far longer than usual, and be discovered only once everyone's back and trying to get going again.
Check what's due to expire or renew over the break
Domain renewals, software licences, SSL certificates, and subscription services don't pause for Christmas. It's worth checking, before you close, whether anything is due to expire or auto-renew during the shutdown period, and making sure payment details and renewals are all in order in advance rather than discovering a lapsed service in January.
Make sure backups will actually keep running
If backups depend on a device being switched on, or on someone being present to notice a failure and fix it, a two-week closure is exactly when that process can quietly stop working without anyone realising until it's needed. Confirm backups are genuinely automated and, ideally, that someone can check their status remotely even while the office is closed.
Apply updates before you leave, not after you're back
Software and security updates are often easiest to apply when systems aren't in active daily use. Running any pending updates before the shutdown, rather than leaving systems to update unattended (or simply going without updates for two weeks), reduces the chance of a nasty surprise on your first day back.
Decide who's actually contactable, and tell people
If something does go wrong while the office is closed, it's worth deciding in advance who, if anyone, is reachable, and making sure that's communicated clearly rather than assumed. If nobody is meant to be contactable, that's a reasonable choice too — but it should be a deliberate one, not a gap nobody actually discussed.
Think about physical security too
An empty office over a well-known holiday period is a predictable target. Make sure physical security — alarms, locks, any CCTV — is properly checked and working before everyone leaves, not just the digital side of things.
A short checklist beats relying on memory
None of this takes long to run through properly, but it's easy to forget in the general rush before the break. A short written checklist, used every year, is more reliable than trying to remember it all amid everything else going on in December.
If you'd like help making sure your systems are properly looked after over the Christmas period, our managed IT support page covers how we can help, or get in touch before you close for the break.
Talk to a local IT team
Get in touch and we'll talk you through how we can help — no pressure, no jargon.