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How Cloud-Based Tech Can Help You Shore Up Hotel Security

Hoteliers can use the cloud to help safeguard travelers and create a better guest experience.

When guests check into your hotel, they expect to feel safe and secure, whether they’re walking in the stairwell at 2 a.m. or connecting to hotel Wi-Fi to check their bank account balance.

“Trust is an unwritten contract between hoteliers, their guests and staff members. In a world that can feel unpredictable, people seek out familiarity,” according to Hotel Management hospitality information network. “When they walk through the doors of your hotel, they want to know you will take care of them during their stay or work shift. This includes keeping them and their belongings safe.”

But that doesn’t always happen. In addition to challenges keeping guests and their valuables physically safe on the property and in their rooms, hotels face difficulties with cybersecurity, from data breaches to vulnerable Wi-Fi networks. One report found that hospitality ranked third in a list of industries that suffered the most data breaches.

Here are five ways cloud-based technology can help you to fulfill that “unwritten contract” with your guests, who are trusting you with their safety and security:

1. Help guests easily access hotel spaces

When you use a cloud-based access management system, your registered guests will be able to quickly and easily gain access to their guest room, the hotel gym and other spaces. The last thing a guest wants is to sacrifice convenience for security—for example, struggling with a locked door in the dark at midnight while trying to get into the hotel. Cloud-based systems can help you balance the wish for convenience with the need for security.

2. Shore up hotel safety and security

As a hotelier, you also need to keep the physical spaces secure, preventing unauthorized individuals from gaining access and endangering guest safety. With a cloud-based access management system, you can easily keep intruders out and allow staff to keep an eye on entrances, exits and common spaces. This way, they can quickly spot and respond to unauthorized access attempts, altercations or any other security issues that arise.

3. Keep guest data safe

Hotels access and store reams of sensitive customer data, such as names, addresses, credit card numbers and more. When you consider hotel spas, hotels also must safeguard private guest health information. With a cloud-based security solution, you can employ authentication protocols that require staff to verify their access credentials every time they need to access the system. “Since cloud-based providers continually make significant investments to develop cutting-edge data-protection technology, cloud-based solutions utilize industry-leading security measures that on-premise data centers lack,” according to Assa Abloy, a company that provides security solutions to the hospitality industry. This can prevent cybercriminals from installing ransomware or using other techniques to steal guest data.

4. Lock down Wi-Fi security

Hotel Wi-Fi can be notoriously unsafe, attracting cybercriminals who take advantage of weak security to steal guest information, commit ID theft and even install malware on guests’ devices. Using a cloud-based solution can help you to keep your Wi-Fi network safe.

5. Send security alerts in real time

If you do have a safety issue, cloud-based technology can allow you to connect with guests and send instant alerts to let them know about the problem immediately. This way, they can feel secure and empowered to take action to stay safe if necessary.

When you use cloud-based systems from high-quality providers, this technology can bolster your ability to keep your guests safer and more secure while improving the overall guest experience.