Cybersecurity Needs for Hospitality & Lodging
Restaurants and hospitality businesses process high volumes of payment data and handle personal customer information, which can make them a prime target for cyber attacks. Effective cybersecurity is critical to helping protect cardholder information, maintaining consumer privacy compliance, and avoiding breaches that could damage guest trust and brand reputation. Managed IT services help ensure point of sale (POS) and reservation systems are ready for business.
- Bars
- Bed-and-breakfasts
- Breweries
- Cafes
- Casual dining
- Fast food
- Fine dining
- Full-servicerestaurants
- Motels
- Pizza shops
Why is Cybersecurity a Critical Need in Hospitality?
Guest Data Goldmine
The vast amount of guest data collected, including passports, addresses, credit cards, and travel itineraries are prime targets.
Vulnerable and Open Attack Points
The integration of various technologies for managing reservations, room service, access controls (like key cards), and security systems (e.g., surveillance cameras), increases the attack surface for cyber threats.
Unsecured Wi-Fi networks
Guest access to Wi-Fi allows hackers to exploit unsecured Wi-Fi networks to deploy malicious code. This code can steal sensitive information from travelers’ devices. “DarkHotel hacking” is when hackers exploit hotel Wi-Fi to target high-profile guests and steal sensitive data.
Inconsistent Franchise Cybersecurity Measures
Variations in security practices across a hotel chain’s properties expose the entire brand to risk. A data breach at even one weak link can have a cascading effect and damage the reputation of all associated properties.
Key Metrics
1/3
of all hospitality-based businesses have experienced breaches, and 89% of them were affected more than once in a year.
$3.36
million
is the average data breach cost in the hospitality sector in 2023, with a 14% increase since the previous year.
423
million
U.S. travelers have been victims of a cyber attack through their business with hotels. 70% of guests believe hotels don’t invest enough in cybersecurity protection.
Over
98%
out of the 40 top hotels in the US were found to be cyber secure.
Highlighting Risk: Marriott’s Multiple Data Breach
Marriott International has suffered at least three breaches. In early 2020, a data breach affected up to 5.2 million guests. Before that, Starwood’s malware went undiscovered for four years, impacting millions of records on its reservation system, including credit card and passport numbers. These breaches cost Marriott more than $500 million, plus the company was fined $120 million for GDPR violations.
Acrisure Cyber Services understands Hospitality & Lodging Organizations
- Tailored Cybersecurity Solutions: Built for the needs of the hospitality sector.
- Comprehensive Protection: Combining cybersecurity, IT support, and cyber insurance.
- Proven Track Record: Trusted by hospitality organizations nationwide.