One of the most critical aspects of your reservation system is how well it protects sensitive information. Your business relies on keeping personal data safe, including staff and guest information.
The consequences of a data breach — when a third party accesses data without your consent — can include identity theft, financial loss, damage to your reputation, legal ramifications, and more.
Fortunately, our reservation software has industry-leading security features. Let’s take a look at data breaches and how RMS can safeguard your data.
Potential Consequences If You Suffer a Data Breach
To effectively manage your outdoor property, you need your data stored in your system so you can make data-driven decisions, but storing it comes with a risk.
The cost of cybercrime is expected to reach $8 trillion in 2023 and exceed $10 trillion by 2025, according to the 2022 Official Cybercrime Report.
More concerning is the average cost per data breach with a global average cost of over $4 million; in the United States, that number soars to nearly $9.5 million.
These losses are for all industries, so let’s take a look at the potential cost you might face in the hospitality industry.
The Effect of Cybercrime on Your Property
Outdoor properties like yours maintain large amounts of sensitive customer, employee, credit card, and banking data. This information is a high-value target for cybercriminals. What could the financial repercussions be if your data were breached?
The average cost of a data breach in the hospitality industry is nearly $3 million.
RMS Security Features
Your first line of defense against cybercriminals should be RMS’s reservation software. Let’s take a look at the platform’s security features.
Data Access Security Profiles
Restricting data access to only those who need it to complete their work limits the risk of data breaches. RMS cloud software allows you to set up multiple profiles that limit data access.
Each security profile determines what a user can do when logged into RMS and what sensitive data is visible. Profiles are typically created by roles, such as the front desk or maintenance and housekeeping staff, and multiple users can be assigned to each profile.
RMS Security Profiles also include an audit trail to track which user made changes to the system and when the change was made. In addition, you can allow or disallow access to specific functions such as “Allow Override of Restricted Rate Types.”
IP Address Restriction
Internet protocol (IP) addresses are used to identify a device on a network. RMS reservation software includes network controls that enable you to limit the IP addresses that can access the database to a specific range of addresses or by region. This extra measure of security ensures that only devices with an authorized IP address can access your sensitive guest records.
Complex Password Management
Cybercriminals employ a variety of methods to obtain business passwords. Unfortunately, some businesses and employees make it very easy for them by using predictable and simple passwords.
RMS’s password management gives you control over passwords. You can create unique password requirements ranging from character rules and password length to how many times a password can be tried before the user is locked out of the system. RMS even gives you control over how often a password should be updated and how long a user can be inactive before they’re automatically logged out.
Two-factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication adds an additional layer of security to your database to prevent unauthorized access. With RMS reservation software, you can require your users to provide an additional confirmation that the login being used is truly theirs. For example, authorized users will be prompted to enter a one-time passcode sent to their mobile device, keeping unauthorized users out even if they get access to a password.
Single Sign-On
Although it might seem counterintuitive to think a single password for multiple applications is more secure, it is definitely true when paired with Single Sign-On (SSO).
Statistics show that 59% of employees use the same password — or similar versions — across multiple accounts. Cybercriminals need only hack into one poorly secured account to fast-track their access to valuable data in more vulnerable software. Reducing the number of times a user logs in to new applications also reduces the opportunity for data breaches.
SSO uses an Identity Provider to authenticate access. RMS lets you require SSO as an additional method to safeguard your data, requiring employees to only log in once each day and only use one set of credentials.
When combined, security profiles, IP address restriction, complex password management, two-factor authentication, and SSO provide extensive enterprise security to protect sensitive information and your business.
Our focus on security extends beyond these features.
Data Centers
In addition to robust security features available to you for your outdoor property, RMS data centers are equipped with the latest technology to protect your data.
RMS cloud software complies with key industry standards such as ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and NIST SP 800-53 for security and reliability. These standards for information security management are met by the RMS servers, with US-based clients' data located in Microsoft Azure data centers within the United States.
These data centers are managed, monitored, and administered by Microsoft.
Software Security Credentials
RMS meets requirements from standards around the world and is compliant for:
- PCI/DSS, payment card data security
- GDPR, European data privacy requirements
- AICPA SOC 2, Association of International CPAs system-level control standards
- Accredited Military Grade Security
- And more
Explore How RMS Can Protect Your Data
RMS’s security features are extensive, but what really matters is how they can protect your data and your business from the very real threat of a data breach.
Request a personalized demo today to see RMS in action, learn how it can improve your operations, and protect you from cybercrime.
