Does your hotel staff have adequate training in cybersecurity? Does your establishment have prevention measures to minimize the risks of cyberattacks? In this article we give you the necessary keys so that your hotel staff have adequate training in cybersecurity.
What challenges does the hotel sector face regarding cybersecurity?
In recent times, the hotel industry has been shaken by serious attacks against its IT systems, which, on some occasions, have seriously compromised guests' personal data, including identity documents and credit cards.
Cybersecurity experts point to the lack of training and awareness of part of the employees as the main reason for these security breaches, which can so negatively affect the operation of a hotel and its brand image. The economic and even legal consequences of a theft of sensitive data can be incalculable.
Sometimes, it is the hotel employees themselves who are the victims of cybercriminal attacks, accessing their personal data because they are the weakest link in the chain.
The tourism sector in general needs to strengthen its digital identity, and in this regard, security is absolutely key.
Possibly the most important recommendation we can give you to increase the security of your hotel is that you spare no effort in training and raising awareness among your employees. This is undoubtedly one of the best protection measures possible.
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How important is it to bet on cybersecurity training for hotel companies?
If you want to prevent the most frequent computer attacks, such as malware (malicious program or code potentially harmful to your hotel's software, network or computer system) or ransomware (a type of cyberattack that consists of blocking a system and asking for a ransom to release), you should include cybersecurity in your establishment's training plan.
For cybersecurity training for companies to be successful, it is essential that it be organized based on a well-planned strategy. Only in this way can you meet the objective of preventing attacks or being able to neutralize them quickly, without causing significant damage.
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Steps to follow for adequate training of personnel in cybersecurity
detect needs
The first step you must take is to detect the training needs of your team through observation techniques, interviews, questionnaires, etc. In this way, you will know what are the deficiencies in the use of technologies by your employees, due to lack of expertise or adequate training.
Many employees are unaware of the danger to their own safety and that of the hotel and its guests if they do not take basic cybersecurity aspects seriously enough. For example: never reveal personal passwords or expose them to third parties, or use unverified programs or applications on hotel equipment or networks.
Design a training plan
Once the main needs of the hotel team members have been detected, you will be in a position to design a strategic cybersecurity training plan. This plan should define the face-to-face and online courses, talks, debates, webinars, practical exercises, etc. necessary to achieve the objective of filling the gaps and weak points of employees in terms of computer security.
It is important to personalize this training as much as possible, since it will be much more beneficial for everyone and may influence issues such as the attitude or behavior of each professional.
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Establish action protocols and code of good practices
Do you want to have the maximum guarantees that your hotel's cybersecurity plan is the most appropriate? So, you should combine the training and awareness of your hotel team with a series of security measures and good practices.
A fundamental issue is establishing action protocols and a cybersecurity policy that all hotel professionals must know and follow. Some examples include:
- Attachments in emails of dubious origin should never be opened.
- Do not use or install third-party applications on the hotel network.
- Do not introduce files into the system with USB sticks or other means.
- Establish a coherent and hierarchical system of access to information.
- Use complex passwords and change them frequently.
Another important point is to have up-to-date antivirus and other security barriers, as well as make backups and backups on a regular basis, in order to avoid loss of information and to be able to continue with our activity in the event of sabotage or any other other computer problems
Finally, we must take into account all the legal aspects related to cybersecurity, data protection and even confidentiality contracts in the processing of data by our suppliers and partners.
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Monitor the different areas of our company
To achieve the best results in training plans, it is very important to monitor the different areas of our company. This will allow us to check whether the proposed security objectives are being met.
This monitoring can also indicate the level of satisfaction of the employees with the training received and how customers perceive our efforts to guarantee their security: WiFi passwords, message encryption and any other action focused on protecting their personal data and ensuring Privacy.
Cerium, your ally in hotel cybersecurity training
We're convinced that the main and most important thing in terms of cybersecurity attacks is prevention, which is why it is essential for us that hotel staff have adequate training in cybersecurity for companies.
En Cerium, we are experts in cybersecurity for hotels We understand security as a comprehensive and global set that we can help you reinforce, providing your hotel with the most interesting cybersecurity solutions and offering you the best advice and training for your employees.
We offer consulting, solutions and high-level training in the most effective measures and technologies to provide maximum security in computing devices and networks. Here we are talking about firewalls, network access control tools or fundamental pentesting tools.
Do you want to prevent cyberattacks in your hotel? Looking for the right training for your team? Contact with us through this form:
