• About
  • Contact
  • Testimonials
  • Newsletter
  • More
    • Demographics & Advertising Rates
    • Terms & Conditions
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
No Result
View All Result
California Business Journal
  • Front Page
  • Business
  • Finance
  • People
  • Featured
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • Law
  • News
  • Food
  • Art & Culture
  • Human Interest
  • Education
  • Insurance
  • Real Estate
  • Health & Fitness
California Business Journal
airplane at sunset

Why Are Hackers Targeting Hotels and Travel Companies?

Travel and hotel industries collect a wealth of personal and financial information. This sought-after data is a hacker’s jackpot.

by Debra Amato, California Business Journal
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

As the hospitality and travel industries begin to make a comeback after a tumultuous year, how are they managing their customer data?

According to PwC’s Hotels Outlook Report 2018-2022, hospitality accounts for the second-most attacked industry after retail. It doesn’t take a genius to work out the common thread between the two industries.

Both the travel and hotel industries collect a wealth of personal and financial information, such as names, date of births, passport numbers, and email and physical addresses. This sought-after data is a hacker’s jackpot, so it should come as no surprise that data breaches in the hotel industry continue to rise.

Just last year, fraudsters stole sensitive information from 10.6million guests at MGM Resorts and 5.2 million guests at Marriott. In addition to this, 9 million customers of easyJet were affected by a similar data breach, 2,000 of which experienced credit and debit card exposure.

So, why are hotel and travel giants such hot targets?

4 Reasons Why Hotels and Travel Companies Are Targeted by Hackers in 2021

1. Sensitive Customer Information

Travel and hospitality companies are often required by law to collect and store valuable government-issued personally identifiable information (PII). This includes passport numbers, social security and National Insurance numbers, and email addresses.

This, paired with the financial information exchanged when consumers make a purchase or booking, amounts to an abundance of data. This leaves the industries incredibly vulnerable to attempted cyber-attacks.

Once the data has been attained, fraudsters can access your accounts for financial gain, or they can choose to sell your personal information on the dark web. Some of the most common problems that arise after your data has been compromised include identify theft, fraudulent account activity and ransom threats.

2. Third-Party Websites

Nowadays, the majority of hotel and travel bookings occur online and, as a result, third-party websites have flourished. Despite often offering discounted rates, third-party websites such as booking.com pose their own threats.

Each third-party vendor can use a different software to navigate the customer journey, adding a layer of complexity to the booking process.

To make an online booking, consumers must go through a series of stages that each requires an exchange of personal data. These multiple exchanges increase the risk of data breaches per transaction, making it much harder for the company to identify the security threat or missing information.

3. Consumers Want an Easy Customer Journey

The travel and hospitality industries are what people invest in to relax. This growing desire for an easy life is demanded from the very start of any customer journey.

hotelTravelers want to use tech-enabled services such as self-check-in kiosks and contactless payments to make the booking process easier. Competitive pressure often means businesses will do everything possible to meet that demand.

This growing tension between comfort and safety presents a major problem for the hospitality industry. Though they want to offer convenience to customers – and every additional step can hamper that – it’s important for companies to find the balance to reduce the risks.

4. Loyalty schemes

Another way in which consumers can be made financially vulnerable is by using loyalty reward schemes. Loyalty program fraud grew by 89% in 2021, and has been described by many as a new currency for fraudsters.

The types of loyalty fraud attacks vary, but can include:

• The direct takeover of existing accounts
• Secret cloning to create new accounts
• Fraudulent transactions
• Policy abuse

Consumers often check their loyalty schemes far less regularly than primary accounts. This leaves an open window for fraudsters to exploit the program’s sharing options between the scheme and other ‘safe accounts’.

What Can Companies Do to Minimise the Risk?

When it comes to cybersecurity in 2021, companies have two options: to increase their data protection or to devalue their old, existing data. But, what exactly does this mean?

Strengthen Your Cybersecurity

Traditionally, most businesses prefer the first option as they don’t have to lose a vital database to which they can send marketing collateral. Often instead, companies opt to purchase accredited cybersecurity software, such as firewalls and intrusion detection.

Industries should also invest in training to ensure employees from the bottom up know how to protect the business from cyber threats. This is particularly relevant for the hospitality industry, as it is often booking and reservation managers who are the first to spot unusual activity and attempted attacks.

Companies may also want to limit employee access to confidential data, so if an account becomes compromised, private guest information doesn’t go with it.

Devalue Your Data

Unfortunately, as hard as companies try to strengthen the barrier between fraudsters and personal data, technology is ever changing and sometimes it may not be enough.

Data encryption has become another form of defense mechanism against hackers. Sensitive information can be disguised with an algorithm and made illegible to anyone who doesn’t have the correct encryption key.

Usually, implementing this method of cybersecurity is the only way to ensure that data doesn’t fall into the hands of fraudsters targeting POS systems with malware.

As you can see, there are a number of reasons why the hospitality industry is often targeted by hackers. There are many ways hotels and travel companies can protect themselves, but it’s never going to be perfect.

ADVERTISEMENT

By following guidelines set out by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), you can better tackle the issue.

Photo credits:
• Photo 1: Pixaby via Pexels
• Photo 3: Markus Spiske via Pexels

Tags: 2018consumersconveniencecybercyber threatscybersecuritydatadiscountedemployeeshackersinformationinsurancelawloyaltymalwaremarketingtechnologythe Dark Webtraining
ADVERTISEMENT
Debra Amato, California Business Journal

Debra Amato, California Business Journal

Related Posts

Ransomware
What is Ransomware?
Action Refund Review
Who is Action Refund? It's an Israeli Tech Firm That Helps Individuals Recover Money in Online Trading Scams
There is a worldwide revolt going on against Torrent websites like Pirate Bay
How To Access Blocked Torrent Websites Like Pirate Bay?
Goldman Sachs
Economic Predictions for 2022 and The Omicron Effect on Forecasts
Online casino fraud
Casino streaming fraud is raging
How to Set Up the Perfect Security System for Your Business
How to Set Up the Perfect Security System for Your Business
Avoid Hidden Airport Fees
5 Ways to Avoid Hidden Airport Fees
Travel Insurance
How To Choose the Right Travel Insurance
Big Cyber Security Threats Facing Mobile Platforms in 2021
The Cyber Security Threats Facing Mobile Platforms in 2021
Co-Founders Craig Goodwin (L) and Corey White (R) of Cyvatar2 (3)
Cyvatar unveils a ‘transformative way’ of re-thinking the $130 billion cyber security space
Andy Bhushan feature photo
Smarter Data + Increased Transparency = Better Insurance
Cell-Phone-Hacking
The best ways to avoid cyber threats while mobile internet surfing
How to Deal with Security Threats
Commentary: How to Deal with Cyber Security Threats to Retail Business
Work from Home Trend Increases Cybersecurity Risk
How the "Work from Home" Trend Increases Cybersecurity Risk—Fortinet on COVID Impact
ADVERTISEMENT

CBJ Newsletter

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram LinkedIn

Advertise With CBJ

Contact Rick@CalBizJournal.com

CBJ Rates and Demographics

ADVERTISEMENT
1REALTOUR-SAN DIEGO-WEB DESIGN
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn LinkedIn Instagram Youtube
C B J   LOGO  SVG-01
  • About
  • Contact California Business Journal
  • Testimonials
  • Demographics & Advertising Rates
  • Terms & Conditions

Categories

  • Art & Culture
  • Business
  • California Hotel Listings
  • Daily Updates
  • Editor's Choice
  • Education
  • Featured
  • Finance
  • Food & Dining
  • Health & Fitness
  • Human Interest
  • Insurance
  • Law
  • Lawyers
  • Marketing
  • Medical
  • News
  • Newsletter
  • Opinion
  • People
  • Popular
  • Real Estate
  • Social Media
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized

CBJ Partner Firebrand Media

Laguna Beach Independent Newspaper
 Laguna Beach City Guide
 Newport Beach Independent Newspaper
Newport Beach Country Club Magazine
  Montage Magazine
 Omni Escapes Hotel Magazine
 Bespoke Concierge New York
 Evans Hotels
 Laguna Beach Magazine
 On The Menu Laguna Beach
 Newport Beach Magazine
Coastal Real Estate Guide (NB,LB, CDM)
Monarch Beach Resort Magazine
 Pacific Coast Magazine (SoCal)
Sea Island Life Magazine
Salamander Hotel & Resorts Magazine
 View our entire portfolio

 

Most Viewed

  • More Truth About Temu: Is Temu A Chinese Company?

    The Truth About Temu: Where Is It From?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Lawsuit Basics: How Much Does It Cost to Sue Someone?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Investigation: Can TriumphFX Take Your Money?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What to Do When an Online Casino Refuses to Pay Out Your Winnings

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Impact of Covid: Racing to Buy Second Citizenships

    3 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Top 5 Flavors On Elf Bar BC5000 Review

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • NFL Paychecks: How Do NFL Players Get Paid?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Temu’s New Shipping Policy Is A Smashing Hit For Shoppers All Over the Country

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 30 Best Temu Alternative Apps To Buy from Online

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Five Reasons Why The Government Does Not Like Bitcoin

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Latest Articles

Photo by cottonbro studio from Pexels

The Rise of Virtual Workspaces: Transforming B2B Operations

A Comprehensive Guide to BetOnline’s Payment Methods

4 Ways To Boost ENT Immunity

The Difference between Data Engineer and ETL Developer

Banking 101

Why This California Researcher is Using Financial Algorithms to Predict Extreme Weather Events

Courtesy: Pexels

The Evolution of Gambling: Exploring the Future of Crypto Betting and Technological Advancements

How to Get 1,000 YouTube Subscribers (for Free!)

Why Music Sounds Better Under the Influence of Cannabis?

How Affiliate Marketing Truly Works

California Business Journal | California Business News, California News Media, California business articles | Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Inland Empire, Northern California, San Francisco | Huntington Beach CA 92649 | (949) 648-3815
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL.
Site Design by 1REALTOUR

No Result
View All Result
  • Front Page
  • Business
  • Finance
  • People
  • Featured
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • Law
  • News
  • Food
  • Art & Culture
  • Human Interest
  • Education
  • Insurance
  • Real Estate
  • Health & Fitness

California Business Journal | California Business News, California News Media, California business articles | Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Inland Empire, Northern California, San Francisco | Huntington Beach CA 92649 | (949) 648-3815
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL.
Site Design by 1REALTOUR