The recent data breach scandal that involved Marriott International is among the latest breaches that remind us how vulnerable we are online. A record number of 500 million guests had their sensitive personal information exposed, and what’s more concerning is that the hackers had gained access to their database since 2014. If you are a hotel business owner with an interest to grow your business long-term, then cyber-security should be one of your top concerns. Business trust is hard to gain but easy to break.

Implement the Latest Cyber-security Measures

The hotel industry is an attractive target for hackers because of the massive amount of personal and financial data it holds. In fact, PwC magazine reported that it’s the second most targeted industry in cyber-security crimes. After the GDPR law came into effect in Europe, businesses are legally obliged to treat their customer data in the most secure way possible. If your business doesn’t currently have a proper data security standard set up, start working on it.

Data Storage

Under GDPR law, companies are required to disclose how they treat customer data. If your business process credit card payments, it’s never a wise idea to store the card numbers locally without any encryption.

Regular Security Audits

Don’t be like Marriott International. It took them 5 years to realize they had been hacked. The sooner your business recognizes a security hole and fixes it, the better. That’s why it’s important to carry out regular security audits especially on newly added assets.

Good Web Development Practices

Your website is not only the face of your business. It’s the gateway to your company’s data as well. A poorly designed site can have many security loopholes that make it easy to gain access to your database. Hire the most capable developers so you don’t have to worry about this.