Cybercriminals are exploiting booking platforms and property management systems—forcing hotels to rethink how they defend their digital infrastructure.

A Growing Threat to Hospitality

Hospitality businesses are facing a surge in phishing attacks, with cybercriminals increasingly targeting hotel property management systems (PMS), booking platforms, and internal communications.

According to industry experts, attackers are using increasingly sophisticated methods to trick staff into revealing login credentials or installing malicious software—often by impersonating trusted systems or partners.

Nicola Longfield, General Manager for Accommodation at Access Hospitality, explains:

“Cybercriminals are actively targeting hotel property management systems, email systems, and booking channels… sending emails that appear to be from legitimate sources designed to trick staff into entering login information or downloading malware.”

These attacks are not random—they are highly targeted and tailored to hospitality workflows.

How Phishing Attacks Are Evolving

Unlike traditional phishing attempts, today’s attacks are designed to closely mimic real operational scenarios within hotels.

Common tactics include:

• Fake login pages that replicate hotel systems

• Lookalike domain names designed to deceive staff

• Google Ads used to promote fraudulent login portals

• Emails impersonating booking platforms or internal systems

• Urgent messaging around payments or reservations

Jan Hejny, CEO at HotelTime, highlights the growing sophistication:

“Phishing attacks are becoming far more targeted and contextual… often mimicking real payment or booking scenarios.”

Once attackers gain access, the consequences escalate quickly—ranging from fraudulent guest communications to full system compromise.

The Business Impact

The risks extend far beyond IT systems.

Potential consequences include:

• Compromised guest data

• Fraudulent booking communications

• Financial losses

• Operational disruption

• Long-term damage to brand trust

As Diego Baldini, CISO of The Access Group, notes:

“These attacks can result in compromised hotel accounts, fraudulent communications sent to guests, and serious reputational or financial harm.”

Industry Response: Collaboration and Awareness

Major hospitality tech providers—including Guestline, Mews, HotelTime, and Planet—are actively working to combat the rise in attacks.

Richard Johnson, Chief Information Security Officer at Planet, emphasizes the importance of shared intelligence:

“Fraud is a full-time operation… by sharing intelligence quickly and raising collective awareness, we continually make it harder for them to succeed.”

This highlights a broader shift: cybersecurity in hospitality is becoming a collective responsibility, not just an individual one.

How Hotels Can Protect Themselves

Experts point to several immediate actions that can significantly reduce risk.

1. Adopt Phishing-Resistant MFA (Passkeys)

Passkey-based authentication is emerging as the gold standard.

• Creates a cryptographic link to legitimate login pages

• Prevents credential theft even if phishing occurs

• Eliminates reliance on passwords and one-time codes

• Supports biometric or hardware-based authentication

2. Train Staff and Reduce Human Risk

Human error remains the primary attack vector.

• Bookmark official login pages

• Avoid logging in via search engines

• Identify suspicious emails and urgent requests

• Encourage immediate reporting of potential threats

3. Strengthen Access Controls

• Use strong, unique passwords

• Avoid shared login accounts

• Implement role-based access permissions

4. Keep Systems Updated

• Apply security patches regularly

• Maintain antivirus and firewall protections

• Back up critical systems and test recovery processes

Why This Matters Now

The rise in phishing attacks reflects a broader reality: hospitality is becoming an increasingly attractive target for cybercriminals.

Hotels sit at the intersection of:

• Financial transactions

• Personal data

• Real-time customer interactions

This makes them uniquely vulnerable—and highly valuable targets.

Conclusion

As phishing attacks grow more sophisticated, hospitality businesses can no longer rely on basic security measures.

The shift toward phishing-resistant authentication, staff awareness, and proactive system management is no longer optional—it is essential.

In an industry built on trust and guest experience, cybersecurity is quickly becoming a core pillar of business resilience.

The post Securing Hotel Booking Systems appeared first on Tech Trends.

Protecting your IT Infrastructure is very serious business these days, so how can we best safeguard against cyber threats?

With this in mind, the helpful folks from Transcosmos Information Systems put together a few best practice tips to keep your IT infrastructure secure. These include:

A secure password is that it must be at least 8 characters long
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Control log-in information and regularly change your passwords

The rule of thumb for a secure password is that it must be at least 8 characters long, combine uppercase and lowercase letters, and at least one number or special character. And Although it’s a bit of a hassle, it is recommended that you change your passwords regularly to keep them secure, preferably every quarter or so.

Change your passwords every quarter or so
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Implement two-factor authentication

Whenever possible, put in place a system that requires more than one form of authentication to grant users access. This means that in addition to a password, you can, for example connect your mobile phone to the server and get it to send you a unique code that you must enter to verify who you are.

Adding additional layers of security is recommended to keep data safe
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Store credentials in a secure way

The best way to avoid data breaches is securing your credentials securely through password hashing. To hash a password means to transform it into a unique value before storing it in your database. Since this is a one-way algorithm, it’s impossible to turn the hashed password back to its original form.

Always have an encrypted back-up of your data
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Delete users and groups you don’t use

Regularly check who has access to your servers. Are they still around? Things change and so should your permissions.

Keep your firewall and virus scanning software up-to-date
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Constantly scan for viruses

To catch viruses early before they have a chance to do any significant damage to your system, you should conduct regular scans and diligently update your antivirus software.

VPNs are your friends where it comes to data security
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Update software and operating systems

Software is a bit like bread, it’s only great when it’s fresh. You must therefore make sure you keep your infrastructure packages and operating systems updates so they’re in tip-top condition. Regular updates fixes bugs and guarantees there are not gaping holes in your system security.

Security software is a bit like bread, it’s only great when it’s fresh
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Fireproof your firewall

Having a good firewall is a must for securing your server infrastructure. It provides an extra layer of protection to your system’s inbuilt security features, through which you can control all the different pieces of software or services that you need to expose to the network. Less exposure = less for hackers to get their mitts into.

Firewalls provide an extra layer of protection to your system’s inbuilt security features
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SSH key authentication

SSH cryptographic keys that contain more bits of data than a typical password, making them more difficult to crack and less vulnerable to attacks. It also saves you having to remember your passwords. Win-win!

SSH cryptographic keys that contain more bits of data than a typical password
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Use private networks and VPNs

Virtual Private Network (VPNs) keeps your browsing secure, and your internal communication private.

Virtual Private Networks keeps your browsing secure and your communication private
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Encrypt, encrypt, encrypt ….

Encryption – the process of translating sensitive electronic data into unintelligible code – means that only those with authorized access can access and decipher your data. All the cool kids are doing it.

Encryption is the process of translating sensitive electronic data into unintelligible code
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Install good security software

It is worth investing in packages from sources you know and trust rather than trying to cut corners, as these might provide a backdoor through which hackers can access your systems.

Find your vulnerable spots before hackers do
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Test your vulnerabilities

Regular network vulnerability scanning can help you identify weaknesses in your server and address issues before hackers get to them.

If you can afford it, hire a professional to help keep your commercial IT systems secure
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Keep secure and encrypted backups

Your data may well get lost or corrupted at some point, and if that happens, you definitely want to have a plan B to allow you to quickly get back on track.

SSH keys also mean you don't have to remember loads of passwords
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Get a Pro to have your back

In this increasingly complex security landscape, it pays for companies to have an IT expert on their side to keep on top of security.

Header image attribution: blogtrepreneur

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post Infographic: Cybersecurity Tips and Best Practices appeared first on Tech Trends.