7 simple hotel cybersecurity protection wins that make hotels instantly safer

Hotels have many moving parts that need to be considered daily, especially when it comes to data and security. You have guest profiles, payment details, passport scans and staff credentials that need to be locked away securely. Nicola Longfield, General Manager here at Access Hospitality, has recently spoken about the risks hotels face with cybersecurity, stating:  

“Cybercriminals are actively targeting hotel property management systems (PMS), email systems and booking channels. Once they gain access via stolen credentials, attackers can send fake reservation confirmations or phishing emails to your guests, damaging trust and exposing sensitive guest information.” 

For hoteliers, it makes them particularly vulnerable as threats can come through easily and often undetected. But with the smallest of changes and the right processes in place, you can significantly reduce your exposure to protect your systems and data.  

1. Give every staff member their own login 

Unique logins are a simple but impactful way to start making security improvements across your teams. If staff share their login credentials, it opens a big can of worms and becomes harder to track who has accessed guest data or edited an invoice. If something does go wrong, you have no clear way of knowing who was responsible for inputting the wrong data or even risking data being leaked.  

Giving staff individual logins will help you:  

• See exactly which actions belong to which team member. 
• Securely manage all accounts, even when a staff member leaves.  
• Control what access each team has to help their specific roles.  

Nowadays, it is better to upgrade to Phishing-Resistant MFA, or Passkeys, which make it practically impossible for attackers to hijack your data. Diego Baldini, CISO here at The Access Group, explains that:  

“Passkeys offer superior protection. As there's no password or one-time code to type in, there's nothing for staff to accidentally share in a phishing email, chat, or phone call. The secret part of the key never leaves your device, meaning attackers cannot copy it even if they see your screen.” 

This easy fix will make it harder for attackers to access your systems and give you the peace of mind that your data is fully secure.  

2. Use strong passwords and rotate them regularly 

You wouldn’t leave your front door open for anyone to walk in, but having weak passwords that are easily guessable is the same concept for your digital systems. This is one of the most common ways cyber attackers can get access to your information but is another easy fix. Passwords should be long, memorable and unique but avoid reusing them across different systems or accounts. Here are some useful tips to keep your passwords fresh and secure:  

• Automate reminders for staff to update passwords every quarter. 
• Avoid shared notebooks or password spreadsheets on your staff’s hard drives.  
• Set minimum standards for password length and complexity, especially for PMS access. 

How modern tech integrations can help you:  

As we live in an AI-driven landscape, your tech can be optimised with smart integrations that give you extra security to control logins and passwords in one place. No more manual updates or guessing work, but streamlined security processes that keeps everyone accountable and aligned.

3. Keep your hotel systems updated 

One of the biggest risks your hotel might have is outdated systems. Cyber attackers usually know before they strike if there are weaknesses in your software, especially if it is older. It can be tricky to keep your systems updated as you may have multiple operations to run or you can’t afford the downtime to implement the software changes.  

But it doesn’t need to be another added stress to your workload. With cloud-based systems, you can keep your tech updated automatically in the background without disturbing your day-to-day operations. Finding the right hotel software will ensure your teams are always using the most secure and up-to-date version without you having to manually intervene. As Diego explains, you can:  

“Deploy reputable antivirus, malware protection, and firewalls to detect and block malicious activity and finally, back up critical data regularly and test recovery procedures. Backups let you recover quickly if systems are compromised.” 

4. Train your teams to spot suspicious cyber activity 

Preparing your teams is just as important as putting all the secure software in place. If your staff are not aware of the risks or can’t recognise the signs when there is a cyber threat, then this could be your downfall. Most cyber-attacks happen with a human mistake, with phishing being the most common culprit, affecting 84% of businesses in the UK.  

But training doesn’t have to take that much time. Here are some areas you can focus on:  

• Recognising phishing emails – Look out for unfamiliar sender addresses, urgent language or unknown attachments. 
• Reporting unusual system behaviour – Recognise unexpected pop‑ups, error messages or login failures. 
• Checking physical devices – Avoid using unknown USB sticks or chargers handed in by guests. 
• Following the right procedures – Know who your team can tell and what to do if something doesn’t feel right. 

If you have a high staff turnover for seasonal or peak periods, ensure that security training is implemented in their onboarding process with refresher sessions for regular teams. As Diego explains:  

“Employers should train all staff to identify suspicious emails. Encourage employees to watch out for unusual sender addresses, urgent language, unexpected attachments, or requests to share credentials.”  

5. Secure your payment processes 

There are so many areas in the hotel business that require a payment process of some kind during a guest’s stay with online bookings, restaurant invoices or package deals being offered daily. But with every payment completed comes the risk of exposure to a security attack and cyber attackers will grab what they can get if they find a way. As Jan Hejny, CEO at HotelTime, explains:  

“Fraudsters are increasingly impersonating trusted brands such as hotels, booking platforms or technology providers, often mimicking real payment or booking scenarios.” 

Keep your payments secure by:  

• Avoiding written card details, even if you are going to throw it away. 
• Not storing card numbers in paper files or unsecured folders. 
• Using integrated payment systems that automatically tokenise and securely transmit guest payments. 
• Removing manual card handling wherever possible. 

How an integrated hotel PMS can streamline your payments:  

Having a connected hotel PMS with integrated payment tools will ensure your payments flow digitally while being secure and traceable. This helps to protect both your guests and staff while keeping transactions quick and simple.  

6. Use secure digital check‑in to minimise manual data handling 

If you still have manual check-ins, it could pose a risk to your guest data being compromised as you hold copies of passports, printed registration cards and sensitive paperwork for malicious players to access. 

Why digital check-ins are the way forward: 

Having digital check-ins removes the risk of data and GDPR breaches by keeping guest information secure on cloud-based servers that give your teams instant visibility when they need it. Not only does digitising your check-in processes reduce the risk of cyberattacks, but it also helps reduce:  

• Queues at reception.  
• Staff data entry errors.  
• Exposure of personal documents. 
• Physical paperwork that could be misplaced or viewed by the wrong person. 

Taking these steps will create a safer and smoother guest experience with secure data systems working behind the scenes.  

7. Store guest data safely and delete it when no longer needed 

Running a hotel can get busy, and admin processes might be forgotten along the way, especially when it comes to clearing old guest data. You might have servers full of archived passport scans, outdated guest preferences, copies of booking confirmations or unused payment authorisations from previous stays.  

To help you stay aligned with GDPR processes and keep your guests secure, whether they are old or new, you should:  

• Only store what’s necessary for operational or legal purposes. 
• Delete data regularly, especially after guest stays are completed. 
• Restrict access so only authorised staff can view sensitive information. 
• Avoid shared email inboxes for passport scans or payment files. 

How integrating your hotel tech can help you protect guest data:  

Using a hotel CRM that is integrated into your PMS platform helps you confidently protect guest information with secure data storage and permission-based access so you can keep guest profiles updated and current.  

In this article, we have unpacked 7 practical ways to help you combat cyber attackers and optimise your operations to eliminate any security threat. We have also drawn upon leading advice from top hospitality providers as well as in-depth security insights to help you get started on your cybersecurity journey. The one point to think about is that your hotel security isn’t about working harder, but being smarter. With a few simple changes, you can put a big digital padlock on your hotel doors and keep cyber-attacks on the other side. But once you have implemented these easy steps, the right hotel tech stack is what will take your hotel security to the next level.  

At Access Hospitality, we help hoteliers build stronger, more resilient businesses with secure, cloud-based systems designed to protect your data and streamline the way you work. Tools powered by AI can also support consistent operations and enhance the guest journey from managing bookings smoothly to making check-ins more streamlined and efficient. Having the right tech will give you the best chance at fighting cybercrime and make the digital hotel industry a safer place.