It’s thought that a cybersecurity incident is reported every ten minutes in Australia, costing the economy around $29 billion each year.

It’s a colossal problem in the hospitality industry, too. In 2018, the Marriott hotel chain was attacked by cybercriminals who reportedly leaked the data of around 500 million guests to a Chinese spy agency.

It isn’t just the big boys who are at risk, though. You’re just as likely to be targeted by cybercrime if you run an independent property.

This is why it’s important to be aware of the most common cyber threats to your property you might face.

Guest data theft

With so much guest data potentially hidden in property management software it’s no wonder cyber criminals are so keen to gain access to such platforms.

Protecting your guests’ personal data should be a top priority. It’s why the security aspects of your computer network, guest WiFi service and data storage are so important.

Ask yourself: how easy would it be to access a customer’s details if you weren’t a member of hotel staff? Make sure you address any potential routes in – quickly.

POS attacks

One of the biggest cyber threats to your property, be it a hotel, resort or restaurant, lies in the point of sale (POS) system.

Your POS system might be the tills you have behind the bar or the payment terminals you have on the front desk, but they’re equally at risk due to the fact they interact directly with customer payment cards.

Customers are left out of pocket If those cards are compromised. But there can be huge financial implications for the hotel, too.

DDoS

Short for ‘denial of service’, DDoS attacks are particularly vicious and have been around for some time.

Most commonly associated with websites, DDoS attacks are when a cybercriminal literally pelts an online service with large amounts of fake traffic and data, forcing it to slow down and, eventually, crash completely.

These days, DDoS attacks can be used to expose vulnerabilities and ‘back door’ access to in-house security systems, sprinkler systems and even security cameras.

Phishing

‘Phishing’ is one of the most common forms of cyber-attacks.

Typically related to email communication, phishing is when criminals send or intercept messages for their own gain. 

It might be a fake supplier invoice, request for your business credit card details or interception of personal data. These emails attempt to fool the recipient into handing over something valuable or authorising a transaction. They’re getting more sophisticated and harder to spot, too, which is why up-to-date anti-virus software capable of identifying phasing attacks is so important.

Ransomware

Ransomware is one of the oldest forms of cyber-attack. It’s designed to help criminals gain financially by issuing ransom requests in return for stolen data.

Ransomware is typically distributed either via email as an attachment or via a download from the web. Like phishing, it’s often hard to spot, but this is another reason why running an up-to-date antivirus package is vital.

Wrapping up

Unfortunately, the statistics suggest that, at some stage, your business probably will be hit by a cyber-attack.

However, if you’re aware of the threats above and take steps to protect your business against them, the chances of a breach will be greatly reduced. And, if the worst does happen, you’ll be more than ready to react promptly and in a way that limits any damage to your brand or customers’ data.

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CMS Hospitality holds over 30 years of experience in delivering hospitality software solutions. CMS offers the most complete solution in hospitality software, whether you’re running a hotel, a resort or a hostel. Our highly experienced support and installations team holds a unique understanding of the hospitality industry. We will aim to provide software that suits your property’s needs.

Call us today at (+61) 2 9440 9711, or email us at sales@cmshospitality.com. We will be happy to guide you to the CMS Hospitality solution that’s right for you.