Fraudsters know that hotels collect a large quantity
of personal information about their guests, which
make them a prime target by organized crime
groups. In fact, the hospitality industry is the
top segment affected by Point-of-Sale (POS)
intrusions. A POS intrusion is when criminals
gain access to the POS terminals and controllers to
steal payment card details, which are then sold to other
criminals.
Out of the 338 confirmed data breaches that hit
the hospitality industry in 2017, 90% occurred
at the POS or Property Management System
(PMS). Hotels and restaurants rely on
payment cards as the primary method of
payment so it makes sense that their POS
and PMS are often targeted by hackers
looking to steal transactional data.
What’s even scarier is that, according to
the Verizon 2018 Data Breach Investigations
Report, 96% of breaches aren’t discovered for
months after the occurrence. Imagine the amount data
that could be taken without anyone noticing – not to mention
the cost and reputational damage.
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