Q: WHAT SHOULD HOTELIERS DO TO ENSURE GUESTS’ PERSONAL DETAILS ARE NOT COMPROMISED VIA THEIR USE OF IN-ROOM TECHNOLOGY?

Andreas: Hoteliers should focus on installing state-of-the-art technology because it is more compliant in terms of security, but the level of investment required can be higher. This is the reason we have special products for hotels — not just what you can pick up at the supermarket.

Santhosh: The key here is to ensure that experienced IT staff are involved in planning, designing and implementing hotel IT systems. It’s always useful for hotels to have technical advisers and there is requirement to conduct IT security auditing by approved vendors.

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Stefan: It is important to reduce the possibility of external security breaches. To ensure maximum security, I always think that all servers should be hosted on-site rather than using a public cloud-based solution. They must also interface with other systems (such as PMS, service delivery system) using secured encrypted communication.

Martin: In our case, we encrypt all information and we keep PMS and guest data on-site in an encrypted format. We also limit guest media streaming by password so guests can only stream to the TV in their own room. Most importantly, we automatically remove all digital traces of the guest at check-out. For added confidence, guests have the option of clicking a “trash can” to remove all personal data at any time.

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