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Study shows hotels' Internet connections unsafe
(PhysOrg.com) -- Travelers who use a hotel's Internet network risk the possibility of data theft, concludes a new study from Cornell's School of Hotel Administration.
The analysis of the networks in 46 hotels and a survey of 147 U.S. hotels found that a majority of the hotels do not use all available tools to maintain network security.
For example, about 20 percent of the hotels surveyed still use simple hub-type systems, which are most vulnerable to hacking. The findings of the firsthand analysis of 46 hotels were no more encouraging.
"Even with hotels that required authentication, I found helpful employees who got me past that barrier," said Josh Ogle '08, a Cornell Hotel School graduate, president of TriVesta LLC. and a co-author of the study. "So, authentication is not as effective as we think, and then I found that of the 39 hotels that offered WiFi connections, only six used encryption to help protect the system."
Added co-author Erica L. Wagner, assistant professor of information systems at the Hotel School: "On balance, we were forced to conclude that guests' data transmissions are often at risk when they use a hotel's network. However, we did find hotels that were paying attention to the security of their guests' data. I should point out that improving security does not have to be costly."
The report concludes with a case study of the W Dallas - Victory Hotel, which has taken a security step not used by most hotels. "What the W Dallas has done is to set up each node on its network as a virtual local area network, or VLAN," explained co-author Mark P. Talbert, a Hotel School senior lecturer in information systems. "By using these VLANs, the hotel has separated each guest's computer in a way that should protect against stolen data. It also gives the hotel greater control over the guest side of the network."
Provided by Cornell University
"Even with hotels that required authentication, I found helpful employees who got me past that barrier," said Josh Ogle '08, a Cornell Hotel School graduate, president of TriVesta LLC. and a co-author of the study. "So, authentication is not as effective as we think, and then I found that of the 39 hotels that offered WiFi connections, only six used encryption to help protect the system."
Added co-author Erica L. Wagner, assistant professor of information systems at the Hotel School: "On balance, we were forced to conclude that guests' data transmissions are often at risk when they use a hotel's network. However, we did find hotels that were paying attention to the security of their guests' data. I should point out that improving security does not have to be costly."
The report concludes with a case study of the W Dallas - Victory Hotel, which has taken a security step not used by most hotels. "What the W Dallas has done is to set up each node on its network as a virtual local area network, or VLAN," explained co-author Mark P. Talbert, a Hotel School senior lecturer in information systems. "By using these VLANs, the hotel has separated each guest's computer in a way that should protect against stolen data. It also gives the hotel greater control over the guest side of the network."
Provided by Cornell University
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