Alaap Shah, an Associate, and Marshall Jackson, a Law Clerk (admission pending) in the Health Care and Life Sciences practice, in the Washington, DC, office, co-wrote an article titled "Cybersecurity Big for Hospitality Cos. Now More Than Ever." (Read the full version — subscription required.)
Following is an excerpt:
Data is going digital, devices are going mobile, and technology is revolutionizing how companies operate. It seems to be business as usual, as your hospitality company continues to collect, use and transmit large amounts of sensitive data to operate the business.
You have even taken measures to help guard against the "typical" risks such as lost laptops, thumb drives and other electronic devices. However, unbeknownst to you, hackers sit in front of their computers looking for ways into your network so that they may surreptitiously peruse through confidential financial records and sensitive consumer and employee information. ?...
The stakes are getting higher regarding cybersecurity. However, there are several steps hospitality organizations can take to protect against cybersecurity data breaches. Further, taking these steps can protect hospitality companies in the context of increasing investigatory activity by state and federal agencies.
First, organizations should conduct periodic risk analyses to determine cybersecurity-related risks. The risk analysis can help organizations:
- Identify key systems and locations;
- Determine where protected data is located;
- Identify vulnerabilities and threats;
- Evaluate security safeguards; and
- Evaluate risk to protected data.