Recently, Omni Hotels & Resorts encountered a cyber-attack that paralyzed their entire IT system, causing a widespread outage. Responding promptly, the organization took the necessary step of shutting down their network to contain the issue, safeguard data, and mitigate further harm. Regrettably, this action severely disrupted hotel operations, affecting tasks like managing reservations, manually unlocking room doors, and utilizing point-of-sale systems in on-site establishments. Initial estimates suggest the attack could cost the Omni upwards of a million dollars. Though unconfirmed, speculation points to a ransomware attack akin to the incident involving MGM in Las Vegas a few months prior.
While many customers felt the inconvenience of the Omni outage, the broader risks of cyber-attacks often go unnoticed. When a network is compromised, without robust protective measures, every connected device becomes vulnerable. This underscores the importance of vigilance, especially during travels. In this article, we'll share essential tips for ensuring your safety whether you're on a business trip or enjoying a vacation.
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks, whether in hotels, coffee shops, or airports. Connecting to compromised networks exposes your devices to potential hacking.
- Disable auto-connect features on your devices. Automatic connections to unknown networks, especially those set up by hackers, pose significant risks. Manually connect only to trusted sources.
- Utilize your phone's hotspot instead of public Wi-Fi. Most smartphones offer this feature, providing a secure connection for your other devices. If not available, contact your wireless provider to enable it.
Implementing these precautions can enhance your security. However, for businesses with traveling employees, investing in professional-grade cybersecurity tools is imperative. Failure to do so may result in unwittingly bringing malware into the company network, jeopardizing operations.
The Omni cyber-attack underscores a crucial lesson for all business owners, regardless of size: no organization is immune to cyber threats. Despite the Omni's extensive network and resources, it still fell victim to hackers. Small businesses without adequate security measures are particularly vulnerable.
If you don’t have a cybersecurity system in place, or if you do and someone else is managing it but you’d like a second opinion, we offer a FREE Security Risk Assessment. This assessment will go over every area of your network to identify if and where you are vulnerable to an attack and propose solutions to fix it.
Click here to book your Security Risk Assessment with one of our cybersecurity experts, or call our office at 281-771-0679.
