The world of online security can sometimes feel like its own separate universe, full of experts and jargon that even a tech-savvy millennial can struggle to understand. But trends in malware and online attacks affect people in every vertical, especially hospitality. Non-tech employees need educational information to keep themselves and their employers safe from online threats. To help provide this education, WatchGuard’s Senior Security Researcher Marc Laliberte wrote a guest column for Hospitality Technology magazine that explains some of the major malware trends WatchGuard found in its 2017 Q4 Internet Security Report (ISR) and what those trends mean for restaurant and hotel workers.
Every quarter, WatchGuard compiles and analyzes data from tens of thousands of its Firebox Unified Threat Management appliances deployed around the world about the kinds of malware aimed at its customers. We use this data to issue a quarterly report about trends in malware and network attacks. By looking at these trends, businesses like hotels and restaurants can understand what kinds of attacks they will likely face and how to prepare to defend against them. For example, here’s an excerpt from Marc’s article explaining one of the ISR’s key findings and how hospitality workers can respond to the threat.
Scripting attacks account for 48 percent of top malware (in Q4 of 2017). Script-based attacks accounted for the majority of malware detected in Q4 2017. This kind of malware is usually embedded in a web page or email attachment. All hospitality employees should be extremely careful when clicking on links or attachments in emails. Never click a link or open an attachment from an email address that you do not recognize, but also be aware that sophisticated phishing emails will often appear come from a member of your own organization. If something seems suspicious, be sure that you and your teams remember to confirm it offline or manually type the link into your browser instead of automatically clicking.
As you can see, security isn’t just a topic for infosec researchers and white-hat hackers. Workers in all kinds of verticals need to be aware of security best practices in the digital age to help keep their employers secure.
Read Marc’s full article in Hospitality Technology and review the full Q4 Internet Security Report here on Secplicity.