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Hotel Network Security: A Study of Computer Networks in U.S. Hotels

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Vol 8 No 15
By: Josh Ogle, Erica L. Wagner Ph.D., and Mark P. Talbert

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Executive Summary:

A study of 147 U.S. hotels finds a mixed picture with regard to the security of guests’ connections to the hotels’ network, whether by cable or Wi-Fi. Since many business travelers connect remotely to continue working while on the road, the potential for theft of corporate information exists. Some hotels still rely on relatively rudimentary hub technology for their networks, and these are particularly subject to hacking. Others have upgraded to more secure switches or routers. Even better is encryption for Wi-Fi connections, but that still does not prevent malicious users from intercepting guests’ transmissions. An example of a best practice is presented in the case of the W Dallas Hotel—Victory, which has set up virtual local area networks (VLANs) for all of its users. The VLAN inhibits attackers from using their computer to imitate the hotel’s main server, which is the mechanism most would use to intercept other people’s data. Given that the technology exists to increase a hotel network’s security, a hotel could potentially be considered at fault for not taking the necessary precautions to protect their guests from hackers.

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About Erica L. Wagner Ph.D.

Erica Wagner is an associate professor of information systems. She earned her Ph.D. from the London School of Economics and has an undergraduate degree in accounting. She has previously taught at Cornell University and The London School of Economics. Her research interests focus on the ways software is 'made to work' within different organizational contexts, with particular emphasis on how work practices are designed into artifacts, standard processes, and methods of accounting. Her research has been published in a variety of outlets including The Journal of the Association for Information Systems, Information and Organization, Communications of the ACM, and the Journal of Strategic Information Systems. Dr. Wagner’s paper entitled “The creation of ‘best practice’ software: Myth, reality and ethics”, was awarded “Best Research Paper 2006” by leading scholars in her field.  In addition, she was one of four faculty members across University to receive a 3-year grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Digital Government project (2005) to support Natural Language Processing Support for eRulemaking.

Dr. Wagner draws on her organizational field-based research when teaching in order to provide rich insights that help illuminate concepts. Throughout her career, Dr. Wagner has been interested in effective learning methods and is dedicated to experimentation in the classroom. Cornell University she won two awards related to her teaching: The Merrill Presidential Scholar award for Outstanding Educator and the Faculty Innovation in Teaching Grant. It was based on this grant that she was asked to speak at the Provost’s series on effective teaching methods. Her Data Ethics Debate assignment has been featured in the Cornell Chronicle (online edition) and the Cornell Hotel School’s Alumni Magazine.  In her spare time Dr. Wagner is an avid practitioner of yoga and enjoys running, reading fiction, and being of service within her community.

 

About Mark P. Talbert

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