Hotels: goal of cyber-criminals in summer

• S2 Grupo has warned that the hotel sector is one of the main focuses of cybercriminals at this time of year.
• Company experts have pointed out that the main consequences of these cyber-attacks affect both the continuity of their own business and the cyber-protection of their clients. To avoid these consequences, they have developed a guide of basic recommendations for the use of technology in hotels.

Valencia, 6 de agosto de 2018.- Valencia, August 6, 2018.- S2 Grupo, a company specializing in cybersecurity and cyber-intelligence, has warned that the hotel sector is gaining relevance among cybercriminals and is one of its main focus of attention in summer. For this reason, it is essential that both hotels and their customers become aware of the dangers to which they can expose themselves if they do not use the appropriate cyber-protection measures in the use of New Technologies. One of the best-known cases of cyber-attack against a hotel is the one that occurred in 2017 at the Romantik Seehotel Jaegerwirt hotel (Germany). In this case, the systems of this luxury hotel were compromised by a ransomware cyber-attack, a type of malware that encrypts hard drives and can only be unlocked with a password. The attackers asked about $ 1500 in bitcoins to provide them with this password. "Because their systems were hijacked by cybercriminals, they could not create new cards for customers to access their rooms and, as they were in high season, they decided to pay to obtain the password", explained José Rosell, managing-partner of S2 Group. Experts from the cybersecurity company have pointed out that not only hotels are possible victims of cyber attackers, but also their clients. In this case, they are often victims of theft of sensitive information and this can be done precisely because the hotel technology infrastructure has been invaded by cyber-criminals. "Hotels should be concerned about incorporating adequate security measures to cyber-protect their customers, but it is also true that it is up to them to make responsible use when using the networks of a hotel", said Miguel A. Juan, managing-partner of S2 Group. Cybersecurity recommendations in hotels

1. Use WiFis with passwords

It is common to find coffee shops or airports with Wi-Fi networks open, that is, which do not require passwords to be used. The same can happen in some areas of hotels. However, you have to use them carefully because you could be accessing the network through a fake router that intercepts information that is shared over the Internet.

2. Use "Https" versus "Http"

The S2 Group has pointed out that, when retrieving Internet content, in the browser the protocol being used to access a web page is displayed. When it is HTTPS, the connection is encrypted, so even if an attacker tried to look at what information is being shared, he could not read it since it would be protected. When accessing websites, especially on public Wi-Fi networks, you should note that the link is HTTPS instead of HTTP because otherwise, you could be a victim of an attacker.

3. Do not share sensitive information

If for any reason, you decide to browse through a public Wi-Fi network, you should avoid sharing sensitive information (for example, accessing the bank). This way, if the connection were compromised, important personal information would not end up in the wrong hands.

4. Use VPNs

One secure way to surf the Internet is to use a VPN (Virtual Private Newtork). These networks make it possible to encapsulate the information sent when surfing the Internet. So whenever you access a public network, it is advisable to have a VPN to mask the identity.

5. The location does not end with the GPS

Experts from S2 Grupo have pointed out that even if the GPS is deactivated, the location of the user can be known if he connects to Wi-Fi networks or simply through activated calls.

6. Disable Wi-Fi when not in use

Finally, S2 Grupo recommends that whenever the Wi-Fi connection is not being used, it should be turned off so as to avoid sending signals that may put the device at risk to cybercriminals. More information: prensa@s2grupo.es