Retail businesses should make time in the coming days to assess their cybersecurity readiness ahead of the annual crush of Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers, according to CompTIA, the leading nonprofit association for the technology industry and workforce.

“Proactive steps taken ahead of time to protect your assets is considerably easier than dealing with the aftermath of a security breach,” said Randy Gross, CompTIA’s chief information security officer.

By one estimate, online spending in the U.S. is projected to surpass $37 billion over Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and nearly $222 billion for the entire holiday season.1 That volume of digital transactions requires heightened adherence to best cybersecurity practices. In the short term,