Hotels open all hours to network threats
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Hotels throughout the US are leaving themselves vulnerable to network security attacks because of a lack of preparation, it has been claimed.
According to network security analysts at Cornell University, a survey of 147 hotels has shown that many are still using rudimentary wireless setups which leave them exposed to attacks.
Furthermore, the group noted that because these networks are often used by businessmen, there is a heightened threat of commercial identity theft and fraud.
"Many hotels have flaws in their network topology that allow for exploitation by malicious users, thereby resulting in the loss of privacy for guests," the study explains.
Meanwhile, Josh Ogle, a contributor to the report, told SC Magazine that during testing of 38 hotels, he was able to bypass network security at 33.
As such, he could have examined all unencrypted data being transmitted over the network by hotel staff and guests.
The group urged businesses to adopt encrypted access standards to limit their exposure to this sort of attack.
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