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Pete Singer: ‘[Travel firms] share everything online except security. No one is getting smarter’


Travel ‘faces ever-growing threat from cyberattacks’


INDUSTRY LEADERS WARNEDOF AN ERAOF ‘CYBER INSECURITY’. IAN TAYLOR REPORTS FROM DALLAS


Travel has entered an era of “cyber insecurity” and consumers are more vulnerable to breaches when on the move.


That is the view of security and


international relations specialist Pete Singer, who told the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) summit in Dallas that cyber fraud cost an estimated $500 billion worldwide last year and is forecast to hit $2,000 billion by 2019. Singer said: “Travel and tourism businesses hold a massive amount of valuable information on partner


70 travelweekly.co.uk 14 April 2016


businesses, customers and employees that hackers can sell.” He told the WTTC: “All of you


have experienced attacks and it’s highly likely you have experienced breaches. We’ve entered an era of cyber insecurity – 97% of [US] Fortune 500 companies admit they have been hacked, but 60% of all online attacks went after small and medium-sized companies last year.” Singer warned that companies


are doing too little to protect themselves and customers. He


said: “A study of 46 major travel brands found only 11, or one in four, had taken steps to protect customer emails from fraud. “We share everything online


except security. Companies don’t like talking about it – they don’t like talking to the authorities about it, they don’t like talking to customers about it. No one is getting smarter.” He described the travel industry


as “between the best and worst” in ensuring online security, with the financial sector the best and healthcare the worst. He argued that “industries most incentivised to do something about cyber security” have taken most action.


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