Hotels held to ransom by computer hackers
Feb 9, 2017 05:10:03 #
Hotels held to ransom by computer hackers.
Criminals are holding British hoteliers to ransom by hacking into their booking systems, blocking all access and then demanding payment.
Attack's in the US and Europe suggest that hackers could also steal guests' personal data and credit card details and shut down other systems, including key card systems.
Recent ransom attacks targeting IT systems at two high-end hotels in Cornwall. Industry insiders said that the problem was probably more widespread because hotels are loath to reveal details.
It is understood that neither Cornish hotel paid up, but both had to spend large sums overhauling their systems.
In a different type of attack, British owned InterContinental Hotels Group - the owner of Holiday Inn - revealed last month that it was investigating claims that customers' credit and debit card details were stolen from 20 US hotels.
Hotels are attractive targets because they are dependent on their reservation systems and store lots of personal information. Ila Kolochenko, the chief executive of High-Tech Bridge, a cyber security company said: "There are financial details and things like who's sharing a room with whom.
Criminal gangs such as Carbanak are now targeting hotels worldwide".
The Russia-based Carbanak is linked to an alleged theft of $1 billion from financial institutions.
Ransom attacks have become increasingly common in the past year and not just against hotels. Hackers targeted one in three NHS trusts in 2016.
Many hotels stress that they take the threat seriously and are well prepared.
Jonathan Lawley, deputy manager of the Hotel Tresanton in Cornwall, which has not been targeted, said that it has the latest security and does not keep guests' bank detail on file.
A recent ransom attack in Austria showed the extent to which hackers can cause chaos when security is outdated. The 111-year-old Seehotel Jägererwirt at Turracher Höhe paid criminals €1,500 (£285K) to regain access to systems after they were shut down on the first weekend of the ski season.
Guests were not trapped in their rooms, contrary to reports, but the hotel could not issue new key cards until it paid up.
Criminals are holding British hoteliers to ransom by hacking into their booking systems, blocking all access and then demanding payment.
Attack's in the US and Europe suggest that hackers could also steal guests' personal data and credit card details and shut down other systems, including key card systems.
Recent ransom attacks targeting IT systems at two high-end hotels in Cornwall. Industry insiders said that the problem was probably more widespread because hotels are loath to reveal details.
It is understood that neither Cornish hotel paid up, but both had to spend large sums overhauling their systems.
In a different type of attack, British owned InterContinental Hotels Group - the owner of Holiday Inn - revealed last month that it was investigating claims that customers' credit and debit card details were stolen from 20 US hotels.
Hotels are attractive targets because they are dependent on their reservation systems and store lots of personal information. Ila Kolochenko, the chief executive of High-Tech Bridge, a cyber security company said: "There are financial details and things like who's sharing a room with whom.
Criminal gangs such as Carbanak are now targeting hotels worldwide".
The Russia-based Carbanak is linked to an alleged theft of $1 billion from financial institutions.
Ransom attacks have become increasingly common in the past year and not just against hotels. Hackers targeted one in three NHS trusts in 2016.
Many hotels stress that they take the threat seriously and are well prepared.
Jonathan Lawley, deputy manager of the Hotel Tresanton in Cornwall, which has not been targeted, said that it has the latest security and does not keep guests' bank detail on file.
A recent ransom attack in Austria showed the extent to which hackers can cause chaos when security is outdated. The 111-year-old Seehotel Jägererwirt at Turracher Höhe paid criminals €1,500 (£285K) to regain access to systems after they were shut down on the first weekend of the ski season.
Guests were not trapped in their rooms, contrary to reports, but the hotel could not issue new key cards until it paid up.
Feb 10, 2017 11:48:00 #
Is anybody surprised about this? No person or institution is immune from being hacked.
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