From Amenity to Vulnerability: Tackling Wi-Fi Risks in Hospitality

Today, public Wi-Fi is table stakes for the hospitality industry. Guests expect to have quality, free Wi-Fi at any hotel they go to. In fact, a recent study from Hospitality Technology magazine found that Wi-Fi is the number one amenity; respondents said they would not return to a location that offered a poor Wi-Fi experience. 

That means a great Wi-Fi experience can become a differentiator, especially to business customers who rely on Wi-Fi to get their work done while on the road. Some hotels are going so far as to install tablets in each room to detect the health of the room’s Wi-Fi signal. And at least one major hotel chain has introduced secure Wi-Fi auto-connect (after a one-time set-up process).

However, though Wi-Fi is a modern hospitality requirement, it also creates security risks. If a public Wi-Fi network is unsecured or poorly secured, staff and guests are vulnerable to financial fraud, identity theft, data breaches and other cyber risks. It’s critical for hotels and resorts to get Wi-Fi security right so that guests keep coming back – and so that these facilities don’t suffer from damaging breaches.