Your Cybersecurity Month checklist for securing hotel infrastructure, data, and protocols — and enhancing guest loyalty
Today’s guest experience is built on a seamless blend of digital convenience and physical comfort. But as hotels become more connected, they also open up potential vulnerabilities to data breaches, ransomware, insider threats, and physical intrusions.
Hotel operators must now think of security as both digital and physical, and design experiences where safety is woven into every touchpoint, without friction or fear.
Technology should be there to assist us, provided it’s deployed correctly. Guests want convenience, but they also want to feel safe. According to Hospitality Technology’s 2024 Customer Engagement Technology Study: Unlocking Loyalty, 71% of hotel guests report that they’re more likely to return to a hotel that provides the technology and security they value, while 74% say they are willing to pay extra for those digital comforts and protections.
Here are seven key steps hoteliers must take to build trust by securing hotel infrastructure.
1. Choosing Secure Smart Tech
Smart tech offers increased efficiencies, saves money, and provides better experiences for guests, which is leading to higher adoption at hotels. Upgrades such as check-in kiosks, AI concierges, smart locks, and connected thermostats are becoming integral to the modern hotel experience, but they also create new vectors for potential intrusion.
IoT devices aren’t as ‘smart’ as they seem if hacked. Your HVAC, kiosks, security cameras, or housekeeping systems could get shut down or go rogue—or worse, enable guest data to get leaked.
Hoteliers need to look beyond features and pricing. Ask vendors to explain how their devices work, what data they collect, and how they handle updates and diagnostics. Make sure these devices are on segmented networks and that you can monitor them continuously.
Even innocuous items like Bluetooth speakers or vending machines can become liabilities. A ‘cheap’ device may not be the bargain you think if it creates an entry point for attackers.
Smart tech best practices:
- Segment smart devices onto separate networks
- Partner with vendors who offer lifecycle support and security updates
- Understand what data IoT devices collect and how it’s stored
2. Preventing Data Breaches Before They Start
It’s not just the systems that need protecting — it’s just as critical to safeguard the information they contain. Personal guest data, payment credentials, and even room preferences must be handled with care, in compliance with regional laws and ethical standards.
It’s important to implement an ethically secure privacy solution. Are you deleting what you should? Are you storing data longer than necessary? Guests and regulatory agencies care about this.
Common data risks include credit card skimming or data exposed on screens at check-in or the bar, or privacy violations like hidden cameras, voice eavesdropping, and over-retention of data.
Data security best practices:
- Limit data collection to what’s necessary—and purge it regularly
- Use vetted, reputable vendors with clearly defined data policies
- Encrypt sensitive guest data both in transit and at rest, and enforce strong access controls
3. Training Staff to Spot the Red Flags
Digital transformation works when the entire team understands how to manage it. Unfortunately, many hotels are short-staffed and may assign non-technical managers to handle IT or security.
That can lead to weak access controls, such as open ports or shared credentials. Phishing is evolving, and AI makes it feel real and personal.
Bi-weekly phishing simulations and regular tabletop exercises that simulate real-world scenarios are a best practice. Role-playing doesn’t mean pretending — it’s about taking the situation seriously and learning from it. What happens if your PMS goes down? What if there’s a ransomware attack?
Training best practices:
- Conduct regular security training, including phishing and social engineering
- Perform tabletop exercises to test real-time response capabilities
- Follow the principle of least privilege for access to systems and data
4. Securing Hotel Infrastructure That Guests Never See
Your guest may never notice your network cables or gear, but attackers might. Hotels must scrutinize every layer of their back-end infrastructure.
Any type of technology implemented could create a supply-chain risk where data could be visible to a third party. But at Nomadix, for example, we use encrypted gateway technology to prevent that and protect guest data end-to-end. Hotels must choose vendors carefully and reduce their attack surface wherever possible.
Infrastructure best practices:
- Deploy encrypted gateways and segment guest, staff, and IoT networks
- Vet vendors for certifications, incident response procedures, and reputation
- Run regular updates and audits to eliminate forgotten or outdated devices
5. Delivering Secure Guest Wi-Fi, Without Sacrificing Simplicity
Open Wi-Fi networks are no longer sufficient, especially when guests expect to stream, work, and manage smart-room controls with ease. If everyone is using the same shared encryption key on an open Wi-Fi network, a bad actor can exploit that.
Nomadix offers Passpoint, a secure Wi-Fi technology that delivers randomized, guest-specific credentials through a hotel app. Even if intercepted, those credentials can’t be traced back to an individual, and they enable a seamless guest experience—devices automatically connect as soon as a guest arrives onsite.
Wi-Fi best practices:
- Replace open networks with secure captive portals or Passpoint
- Push unique credentials via the brand app or secure channels
- Monitor for rogue access points and abnormal activity on the network
6. Monitoring Physical Security with Digital Precision
While digital threats are rising, old-school physical threats haven’t gone away. Tailgating, unauthorized server room access, and theft persist, especially when hotels rely heavily on temporary or limited staff.
Bad actors know when to strike — during shift changes, when staff are stretched thin. A service imposter claiming to ‘fix the server’ can walk right in if protocols aren’t followed.
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of locks, logs, surveillance, and vigilance. Hotels should evaluate not only the physical security of assets around securing hotel infrastructure, but also who has access and when.
Physical security best practices:
- Monitor for tailgating and unauthorized access to restricted areas
- Log access to server rooms, back offices, and liquor storage
- Train staff to verify service personnel credentials and follow escalation procedures
7. Elevating Security from the Basement to the Boardroom
Security can no longer be treated as an afterthought or delegated solely to IT. It’s a strategic imperative that spans the guest journey, operational workflows, and brand trust.
Independent audits are invaluable. They provide an external perspective, identify gaps, and validate your commitment to protecting guests.
Ultimately, travelers are becoming more aware of which hotel brands take security seriously. When guests feel safe — from connectivity to streaming to working from the room— that’s the new standard of hospitality.
Securing hotel infrastructure is no longer just a risk mitigation tactic—it’s a competitive differentiator. As threats grow more sophisticated, hotels that invest in digital and physical security as a unified priority will win trust, loyalty, and peace of mind. (See our “Hotel Security Checklist,” below, for a handy roadmap to digital and physical peace of mind.)
Interested in learning more about how Nomadix can help create peace of mind for guests and staff. Feel free to reach out or book a meeting.
Dr. Chris Spencer is a seasoned security expert with over two decades of experience in the dynamic realm of technology. He’s played a pivotal role in designing and fortifying some of the world’s largest and most secure Wi-Fi networks and technologies, including Next Generation Hotspots (NGH) Passpoint, OpenRoaming and CAPPORT API.
Spencer serves as Director & Head of Product Security, overseeing the security and operations of ASSA ABLOY’s hospitality division. In his concurrent role as CISO of Nomadix and GlobalReach, Chris leads security operations across the brands, securing critical infrastructure and achieving internationally recognized certifications, including Cyber Essentials and ISO 27001. He is also a trusted member of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Partnership and is involved in initiatives such as the National Technical Assistance Centre and Agile Retained Data System.