Cybersecurity Issues for Business Travelers
Phishing and identity theft are major threats to employee data
and information in the hotel and hospitality business, especially
while traveling. PadgettBeale is concerned about the risk of
passwords, credit card numbers, and emails from staff accounts
being hacked. This meeting will focus on phishing, spear phishing,
whaling, and identity theft involving often traveling staff. Security
to secure employee information, employee education, employee
awareness, sorts of assaults to focus on, and how to thwart these
attacks are the major takeaways from this. When Padgett Beale's
personnel go out into the field, precautions like these can create
a strong shield from outside predators.
Padgett-Beale needs to act quickly to protect its employees and
company data. The information that the hackers are after is far
too valuable to just hand over. The corporation should take
defensive measures to keep the assailants at bay and make life
unpleasant for them as much as feasible. Employee education is
also critical to the success of this strategy. The firm is especially
exposed if no one has the necessary expertise and awareness to
recognize a phishing effort. When introducing new security
measures, one of the main objectives a company should consider
is asset protection, which includes the well-being of its personnel.
The main focus of the discussion is on hackers entering the
devices of traveling personnel who use laptops and smartphones
to conduct business. The sensitivity and volume of the
information held by the company cannot be compromised.
Padgett-Beale's should be beefed up their security sufficiently to
combat phishing and identity theft efforts. One technique to
prevent hackers from seeing sensitive information is to encrypt it
before storing or sending it, on storage cards and when
sending/receiving emails. When two-factor authentication is
available, a simple but effective strategy for requiring additional
verification for access to information could be used. Your
company will benefit from a securing the cell phone and laptops
data by making sure they encrypt their systems.
Tips for Business Travelers when using Company's Laptop and
Phones:
• When your laptop is turned on, never leave it alone. Always
use a strong password to protect your PC.
• Ensure that your PC or other mobile devices have standard
and up-to-date anti-virus (AV)/anti-spyware software
installed.
• To filter all incoming data, make sure your Firewall is always
turned on.
• As a two-factor authentication security layer, use a
password-protected and encrypted USB key that also
requires a unique PIN for access.
• Pay attention to URLs and what information is being entered
while in a foreign nation, especially HTTP vs. https.
• Bring your own charging brick and connect it into a wall
socket while traveling.
• Always have a backup battery pack on hand in case there
isn't a wall outlet available.
• Always use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which encrypts
all web traffic and communication.
• In open and insecure venues such as airports, hotels, and
other public places, avoid opening sensitive information such
as work emails and restricted accounts.
In addition to the aforementioned suggestions, Padgett Beale
Hotels and Resorts should conduct a yearly obligatory security
training to teach all employees, including all travel employees and
executives, how to use IT security best practices to protect the
company's data. As a result, the organization's entire security
posture will be improved, and the danger of cyber threats from
potential hackers will be reduced.
References
Barlow, C. (2019). Security Intelligence. Retrieved from How
Cyber-Secure Are Business Travelers? New Report Says Not Very:
https://securityintelligence.com/posts/how-cyber-secure-are-
businesstravelers-new-report-says-not-very/ HelpNetSecurity.
(2019). Retrieved from High-risk behaviors expose travelers to
cyber risks: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2019/05/24/travel-
cyber-risks/ Murphy, B. (2014). 13 Mobile Device Security Tips
for foreign Business travelers to China. Retrieved from
RedZoneTechnologie: https://www.redzonetech.net/blog/13-
mobile-device-security-tipsforeign-business-travelers-china/
Schlesinger, J. &. (2016). Travelers Beware! That free charging
station could hack your phone. Retrieved from CNBC:
https://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/21/travelers-beware-that-free-
charging-stationcould-hack-your-phone.html
