How the travel industry can fight back against cyberthreats | SmartBrief - 1 views
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Travel and hospitality businesses have become lucrative targets in recent years for cybercriminals who have stolen from the industries in attacks that often take more than half a year to identify.
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In the past three years alone, the hotel industry has faced 13 serious attacks, according to an IntSights study.
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The travel and leisure sectors suffered a 155.9% year-over-year rise in suspected online fraud attempts worldwide in the second quarter, according to a TransUnion study, compared with a 16.5% increase in overall alleged intrusions.
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The hotel industry attracts cybercriminals because it handles so many financial transactions in so many countries.
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The top threat to hotels is phishing, a scam in which hotel guests may receive fake phone calls claiming to be from the front desk. The caller could claim that there is an issue with the credit card on file and that they need to re-verify the payment method.
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DarkHotel hacks are another significant threat. These target travelers via hotel Wi-Fi. Digital certificates are sent to guests, like a familiar adobe update, which will retrieve sensitive information. Hotel chains are combating these hacks by suggesting that guests use a virtual private network.
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Malware (malicious software) is something criminals email employees, under the guise of the attachment or link looking innocent or legitimate. But when the user opens the file or clicks on the link, their system (and more) can be hacked into by the criminal.
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IT department should routinely update operating systems and back up data and files, and every employee should double-check sources when asked for software administrative permissions. Also, strong firewalls can limit bad traffic and provide security.
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Software and hardware can help prevent breaches, but employee training is also an essential part of any hotel’s cybersecurity.
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“Guests can enroll in a service called WebWatcher, which monitors the sites where personal information may be shared and alerts guests if evidence of their personal data is found,”
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Hotels are not alone in being targeted by cybercriminals: The airline industry has faced serious cyberattacks as well, and many airlines still aren’t equipped to handle them.
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In 2018, a Marriott reservation system was hacked. More than 500 million customer records, including credit card information and passport numbers, were stolen. The company said the hack went back four years prior to the discovery and, when it was noticed, the company started using computer and mobile device monitoring software.
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"The proliferated effect of the attack on SITA is yet another example of how vulnerable organizations can be solely on the basis of their connections to third-party vendors,"
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The aviation industry faces dangers such as ransomware and distributed-denial-of-service attacks. Following the SITA attack, HackerOne solutions architect Shlomie Liberow stressed that airlines need to prepare for the worst.
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traditional enterprises like airlines have always been an attractive target since few are digital-first businesses, and therefore have relied on legacy software, which is more likely to be out-of-date or have existing vulnerabilities that can be exploited."
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The airline industry needs to keep third-party vendors in check when it comes to protecting information. Given the high stakes involved, experts suggest that blind trust is not an option.
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“You simply cannot know whether your third parties meet your company’s security controls and risk appetite until you’ve completed a full vendor security assessment on them,
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It’s important to note that the best practice is not a ‘one-and-done’ activity, but through real-time, continuous monitoring.”
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In 2015, hackers targeted Polish airline LOT’s ground operations system, affecting 1,400 passengers. The hackers made it impossible to create flight plans and flights. It was the first attack of its kind, and it caused concern about cyberattacks one day remotely taking control of planes.
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To address the threat, the standard advice is to back up and store data in multiple places, including off your physical premises, and have one copy of it be offline
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Multifactor authentication and long, complicated passwords will take longer to crack. Updating and patching systems regularly helps companies avoid being victimized when a new exploit is discovered.
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Treating cybersecurity as a companywide concern, not an IT concern, encourages each employee to take ownership of their actions and knowledge and to seek help proactively instead of making an “innocent” mistake that costs the company millions of dollars.
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Finally, companies should avoid simply throwing money at the problem: Not all cybersecurity solutions work together, which wastes money and increases the risk of a breach.
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This article discusses ways that the travel industry can combat cyberthreats. The main cyber concern for hotels' is phishing, which is a scam that collects credit card information by pretending to be apart of a hotel's front desk staff. The article mentions that IT departments should do routinely updates to operating systems and back up data and files. Employees should also be trained to help prevent data breaches. The author briefly touched on what to do when your hotel system is hacked and even dives into how the airline industry is still very unequipped to handle cyberattacks and threats. This is a great read to learn how to keep up with best security practices in the hospitality and tourism industry.