Most people, when they want to go on vacation, use the internet to find hotels, compare prices, make reservations. Many times, they need to fill in some personal information online.
However, in recent years, some incidents of data breaches of customers of large companies and hotels (e.g. Expedia, British Airways, booking.com, Marriott) have become known
Chris Morales, head of security at Vectra , said that once hackers target a business, it's only a matter of time before they carry out a successful attack.
Hackers are now using sophisticated methods. With careful steps and effort, they have no difficulty attacking companies. The point is for the business to be able to quickly realize that it has been hacked and act immediately.
What should one know when making an online reservation?
As Mr. Morales said, hackers usually compromise hotel or business websites and in doing so, compromise customer data. This is what happened with Expedia.
Hackers install malware on the site, which allows them to steal information as people click and make purchases.
They can also gain access to other systems and extract more information. In the case of Expedia, the fraudsters had access to hotels, car rental companies, and more.
Fraudsters are constantly on the lookout. As soon as they spot a vulnerability on a site, they exploit it.
The target of these businesses is usually customer data. How they will use the data they steal depends largely on the type of data. For example, if they steal credit card details, they will rush to sell them on the dark web,because they need to "get rid" of them before the owners realize it and block the cards.
However, some use the data they obtain for other purposes, such as tracking specific individuals. This was the case with Marriott. The goal of the breach was to track certain policies.
“We would call this government espionage,” Mr. Morales said.
There have also been incidents of theft of airline tickets, miles or reward points, which hackers sell to make a profit.
Can people protect their data when making online reservations?
In the digital age we live in, it is difficult to have complete security. Hackers are constantly evolving their methods, so people are at risk when entering personal data on the Internet and making online payments.
However, there are a few things customers can do.
- Although credit cards are safer than debit cards, it is best to avoid using them .It is preferable to use applications, such as PayPal, where possible.
- Everyone should be on the lookout for suspicious activity. Regular checks of the bank account should be made so that if anything unusual is noticed, the card can be blocked in a timely manner.
- Regularly changing your internet passwords and getting a new credit card every year. The latter helps because, if a company is breached, they will have the old data and not the new (since it will be an attack on a company you have used in previous years).
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi to use applications that include personal or financial data.
- Beware of ATM credit card skimmers (devices in cash machines that capture card details).
- Avoiding a random ATM on the street to withdraw money (the bank is more reliable).
- Avoid posting on social media about the holidays. Avoid giving out your location for security reasons. If a scammer knows you are away, they can take advantage of this to break into your home and steal from you.
What should people do if they realize their data has been breached?
What to do also depends on the type of information that has been stolen. If we are talking about a breach of a bank account or bank card, then the bank should be contacted immediately.
Also, passwords should be changed as soon as strange behavior is noticed and two-factor authentication should be used where possible. It is a good idea to choose sites that ask for information other than a password to allow login or make purchases.
However, vacation booking sites do not do this, as they place more emphasis on convenience than security.
Travel companies and hotels need to take security more seriously, otherwise we will continue to see many attacks and breaches of customer data.
