New Cybersecurity Threats for the Hospitality Industry
To be ready for what’s coming in 2022, it would help to take a look and analyze the data collected during 2021. Over the year, we’ve witnessed cyber attacks worldwide. In October, one of the most significant incidents crippled activities at one of the most representative hotel chains in the world.
During the incident, attackers managed to take down core parts of the internal network and a few web-based servers. The hotel’s public site and reservation systems were also down. The hotel chain has been dealing with the aftermath; however, no ransomware gang has claimed credit for the attack.
The investigation demonstrated that attacks are becoming more sophisticated as the cybersecurity division nor the authorities have found anyone responsible for the matter. At this point, what’s left for the hotel chain is to deal with the aftermath of the incident. The nature of cyberattacks is changing, evolving, and each day we encounter new cybersecurity threats worldwide, particularly in the hospitality industry.
All attacks are similar in one way: no matter the size of the business, whether we talk about a small hotel or a major worldwide chain, cybercriminals are after your data. All sectors are at risk, from ransomware to data breaches.
Experts’ Opinion About the New Cybersecurity Threats
Analytics and data intelligence from different serious firms report that cybercriminals are expected at targeting immature technologies. It means that 5G communications, the IoT (Internet of Things), and smart cities will be vulnerable to cyberattacks.
At Secure Stay, we’ve gathered the most relevant insights from a team of experts. Here are the new cybersecurity threats that await the hospitality industry in 2022.
New Cybersecurity Threats: Deepfake Attacks
Deepfakes are one of the new cybersecurity threats expected to rise in 2022. Deepfakes successfully lead people into believing that a person said or did something that never happened. A few deepfake clips of Barack Obama provided insight into what the tech can accomplish. Although deepfake tech is still at an early stage, they are an emerging concern. Attackers can use deepfakes and social engineering to trick hotel staff into providing account credentials, personal information, or access to money.
Earlier this year, the CEO of a company in the UK got a call and heard the voice of his boss asking him to transfer $243,000, supposedly into the account of a supplier. The voice had the same intonation, the right tone, and a subtle German accent as his boss, except that it wasn’t.
The investigation concluded that he had fallen victim to an AI deepfake phishing attack.
Deepfake became one of the new cybersecurity threats to look after in 2022. Reports found evidence that attackers are increasingly looking for new ways to use deepfake tech for cyber attacks.
The Joker Malware
The year we’re leaving behind us was the year of tech innovation, and cybercriminals were no exception; the Joker malware was discovered. The malware has been active for two years in an Android app called Color Message. When they found it, the app had been downloaded over 500,000 times. The main goal of the malware is to intercept messages, simulate activities such as clicks, and subscribe the user to services that require a payment.
The Joker creates a footprint not easy to detect. As the investigation continued, the team discovered that the malware was found hiding in hundreds of mobile apps. Since then, Google play removed the app from its platform.
Conclusion
As technology keeps evolving and society continues to push the boundaries with Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality, the hospitality sector has to stay updated and keep up with the new cybersecurity threats. Choosing the right partner to assist you is probably one of the most important decisions to make for your business.
Our experienced team at Secure Stay is here to help you keep your hotel and clients secure. Contact us, and rest assured that your business security will be in good hands.
