Cybersecurity in Hospitality: Defending Hotels from Modern Threats
Cybercrime is no longer a distant worry for hotels—it’s an everyday threat. According to CERT-IN, more than 30% of Indian hotels have suffered cyber incidents in the past two years, ranging from ransomware to stolen guest data. As hospitality becomes more dependent on technology—PMS, booking engines, POS, and guest apps—the risk grows, especially when staff turnover is high and systems are fragmented across multiple vendors. The most common cyber threats hotels now face include: Phishing & Social Engineering: Front-desk and reservations staff are frequent targets. Ransomware: Systems get encrypted, halting operations during peak periods. Data Breaches: Credit card, passport, and personal information leaks damage trust. DDoS Attacks: Booking sites overwhelmed with traffic to block reservations. POS Malware: Card data skimmed from infected payment terminals. Real cases show the scale of the damage. The Piccadilly Hotel in Lucknow was locked out of seven years of dat...