The past two years have seen numerous IT security issues affecting hotels – and making headlines. There was the ‘Fancy Bears’ incident – a group of Russian hackers suspected of spying on hotel guests; the fast-spreading ransomware attack ‘WannaCry’, as well as the ‘KRACK’ vulnerability, which affected the WIFI standard WPA2.
Threats like these, if they reach you, can take a heavy toll on your hotel’s daily activities as well as your reputation.
How Can I Protect My Hotel and Guests?
With the number of connected devices and mobility needs skyrocketing, not to mention guest’s high expectations and tight IT budgets, security is more challenging than ever. There is no magic solution to being fully protected, but most experts believe that good IT security requires a combination of efforts.
Here are four things you can do:
- Apply Best Practices
Most of them are well known, but not always applied. For example; network segmentation, guest isolation, a strong password policy and network access control.2.
- Regularly Upgrade Systems
Ideally, allow a regular time slot for updates and opt for redundant design to limit downtime.
- Conduct Regular Assessments
Is my Wi-Fi vulnerable to KRACK attack? Are the guests really isolated? Audit your network to detect weaknesses and plan remedial actions to enforce compliance.
- Advanced Firewalling
Detect any hazardous activity and enforce security in your back office. Ensure that guests do not pick up viruses while using the internet at your hotel – and that infected guests cannot spread the virus to others.
The key to success lies in the capacity to not only set up these safeguards, but to keep them as part of a continuous plan of action.
Hoist Group has developed a solution to address this challenge. Our new security offering is designed specifically for the hospitality industry, and includes automatic audit or assessment tools, as well as reports to enhance the visibility of your network.
We bundle these tools with an enterprise level firewall that includes advanced security features – so you can protect your guests, your staff, and your hotel’s entire network.
If you would like to learn more about this security package, don’t hesitate to get in touch.