As summer 2025 ushers in record-breaking travel volumes, hotels are facing an equally intense surge in cyberattacks. VikingCloud’s 2025 State of Hospitality Cyber Report report reveals that 82% of North American hotels experienced a successful cyberattack during the 2024 peak season, with 66% reporting increased attack frequency and 50% noting greater severity during summer months. The threat landscape is growing more dangerous, especially as cybercriminals adopt AI-driven tools that outpace hotel defenses.
Key vulnerabilities include POS systems, guest Wi-Fi, and front desk technology—systems essential to daily operations and guest trust. Downtime caused by attacks frequently lasts over 12 hours and can result in millions of dollars in losses, reputational damage, and even permanent hotel closures. Despite this, many properties still rely on outdated infrastructure, lack robust incident response plans, and fail to adequately train staff, including seasonal workers.
Hotels are underprepared across multiple fronts:
- Only a fraction have implemented advanced cybersecurity measures.
- Nearly half lack confidence in their teams’ ability to detect or respond to AI-driven attacks.
- 40% cite outdated technology as a major risk.
- 22% do not regularly train staff to identify cyber threats.
- 30% have no plans to partner with managed security service providers (MSSPs), despite evidence showing MSSPs reduce breach recovery time.
The report positions cybersecurity as not just an IT concern—but as a core component of the guest experience and business continuity.
What’s at Risk—and What You Must Do Next
- 🛡️ Cyberattacks are now a seasonal inevitability—prepare as you would for any other peak-season operational challenge.
- ⚠️ POS, Wi-Fi, and front desk systems are top targets—prioritize securing these assets immediately.
- 🤖 AI is a double-edged sword—attackers are using it faster than hotels are defending against it.
- 📉 Downtime equals lost revenue and trust—a weak incident response plan can amplify damage.
- 📚 Training seasonal and full-time staff is essential—untrained staff are your biggest vulnerability.
- 🧑💻 MSSPs provide a competitive edge—they offer around-the-clock protection and faster incident resolution.
- 💸 Reputation and revenue are both on the line—cybersecurity is now a frontline concern for guest satisfaction and long-term viability.
