(Alpharetta, GA – June 15, 2012) Recently, one of the world’s largest networking sites got hacked.  LinkedIn confirmed on Wednesday June 6, 2012 that “at least some passwords were stolen”.  Later we found out that over 6.5 million passwords, more than 60% of their aggregate subscribers, were dumped onto a Russian cybercrime forum.

In fact, over 760 companies have been hacked in 2011 alone.  Prominent organizations such as Charles Schwab, Amazon, IBM, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Intel, Yahoo, Google, Cisco, FreddieMac, Wells Fargo, and Northrop Grumman were victimized last year.  This year, the Dutch certificate authority DigiNotar, owned by VASCO Data Security International, has filed bankruptcy due to a security breach.  Hacking has resulted in the liquidation of DigiNotar.

While organizations worldwide are under siege by global cyber-hackers, the hospitality industry finds itself the center.  Fifty-five percent (55%) of all credit card fraud happens in hotels.  Why is fraud in hotels so prevalent?  A lack of attention to simple precautions may have something to do with it.  For example, according to a recent Trustwave survey, the most popular password in hotels is “password”.   Another reason hackers target hotels is that, on-average, customers who have been hacked at hotels take up to 6 months to report the crime. By that time the perpetrator is long gone and difficult to trace.  The hospitality has a need to address the issue. Training personal information/data handlers is an essential first step.  However, avoiding the work it takes to keep proprietary information secure puts our customers at greater risk, especially as hacking becomes more prevalent.

About VENZA

VENZA is passionate about the development of technology and services that enable hotels to feel more secure concerning guest data breaches and human vulnerability. With decades of experience, VENZA has the knowledge and experience to empower hotels and their employees to tackle the dynamic cybercrime and guest security landscape.

Over 10,000 properties in over 100 countries look to the VENZA for tools, technology, and strategic security support. Founded in 2008, VENZA is a privately held company and headquartered in Roswell, GA. For more information, please call 770.685.6500 or visit www.VenzaGroup.com.