Working with Your Business Intelligence Provider to Address Cybersecurity Risks

With the hospitality industry seemingly always experiencing the fallout of a recent data breach, hoteliers rightfully rank enhancing cybersecurity measures as one of the most critical business priorities. Likewise, a top concern of guests, up to 46 percent, state that booking decisions can be influenced based on their level of trust in a hotel’s cyber defenses.

While seemingly a challenge that many hoteliers feel they are tasked with facing alone, in reality, much of a property’s success in preventing cyber-attacks come down to the scope and quality of built-in security protections offered by their software solution providers. With business intelligence platforms hosting a mass of sensitive data that can prove fatal to property reputations if able to fall into the wrong hands, today’s hoteliers must especially ensure that their business intelligence provider has the capabilities and expertise required to minimize any potential risk.

Keeping a Constant Eye on Cybersecurity Threats

With more properties adopting a cloud-based software infrastructure for their internal operations and guest-facing services, hoteliers more than ever need to partner with solution providers that can effectively secure every link that could serve as a potential vulnerability. With regards to business intelligence systems, properties should seek out providers able to demonstrate how their services include the ability to not only minimize potential attacks, but also have capabilities to proactively monitor and respond to any threats should they occur.

For example, with ProfitSword customer data and operations are always secured using an advanced Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system. The platform is powered using the latest in AI-driven detection technology for the instant identification of viruses, worms, ransomware and even suspicious account or software/service activity. Once identified, the system then automatically generates an alert to ensure an immediate response. ProfitSword’s SIEM is also backed by the solution provider’s 24/7 Operations Center providing a continuous, watchful eye that can always investigate and swiftly resolve any cybersecurity issue before attackers are given an opportunity to cause further damage.

Building an Effective Wall Between Your Business and Would-be Hackers

Any reputable business intelligence software provider should also be able to equip their customers with enhanced firewall capabilities that can shield a property’s computers and networks from any and all malicious outside traffic. Without an effective firewall in place, hoteliers are essentially leaving the door open for outsiders to freely access and wreak havoc within their various systems.

Recognizing the drastic implications that inadequate firewall protections can have on customer operations and reputations, ProfitSword solutions feature a cutting-edge Web Application Firewall (WAF) that serves as a cornerstone for fully protecting all applications and APIs. With an enabled WAF, hoteliers can significantly minimize attack surface areas and the exposure of any back-end services, infrastructure, and applications to potential attackers. Featuring the latest in DNS security as well as HTTP/2 and TLS level protection, properties can also look forward to receiving enhanced protections against a range of commonly experienced cyber threats, including zero-day vulnerabilities, Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS), and bot attacks. Other potential attack vectors that can be closed further include SQL injection and XSS to name a few more examples.

Reaching into the Cloud for Enhanced Cybersecurity

Leading business intelligence providers are also leveraging the advantages that cloud technology can provide to further bolster a customer’s online security. One of several benefits that cloud-based solutions offer is that providers can take on a much greater role in managing and overseeing daily cybersecurity-related needs. This not only enables far more effective monitoring and prevention, but also creates a valuable partnership that enables onsite employees to relentlessly focus on even more ways to add value and security for clients.

In designing its cloud-based solutions, ProfitSword notably leverages industry best practices for ensuring continuous heightened security for computer, network, and data storage clusters. Its platforms feature expanded redundancies and scalability that reduce the risk of experiencing application downtime from a cyber-attack. With end-to-end SSL encryption, ProfitSword also ensures that data is never at risk of falling into the wrong hands when being shared across computers on a property’s network. By being able to remotely monitor the health and performance of its solutions, ProfitSword is instantly alerted to any issues requiring immediate investigation, while its rolling point-in-time data backups ensure that customers never lose any crucial business information.

Educating Employees on the Ins and Outs of Effective Cybersecurity

Keeping your hotel staff informed on how to recognize a potential cyber-attack and avoid risky behaviors can mean all the difference between experiencing minimal damage or a catastrophic data breach. From using easy-to-guess passwords and downloading unverified software to not ensuring adequate security on personal devices, employees can often unknowingly expose a property to increased vulnerability.

To sidestep such potential risks, hoteliers should work with technology providers that are willing to provide all relevant employees with cybersecurity training for each of their solutions. With ProfitSword, security, anti-phishing, and privacy training are always mandatory and even includes additional privacy training for key stakeholders. Standard company practice also provides for clearly documented policies and procedures ensuring that employees always instantly know how to respond to any suddenly arising issue and maintaining continuous heightened security as a result.

Learn more about our Data Privacy and Security practices.