Travel companies can reduce the risk of cyberattack by up to 80% using free technology, according to an expert.
The Global Cyber Alliance (GCA), set up three years ago to prevent cybercrime, said most travel businesses were not aware such technology exists.
In the fourth phase of Profit’s Secure Our Systems campaign against cybercrime, backed by Travel Weekly, the GCA urged companies to look at what they can do immediately to reduce risks without extra cost.
Andy Bates, GCA’s executive director for the EMEA region, said: “There is such a thing as a free solution to cybersecurity that solves 80% of security issues. There isn’t a 100% cure to all cybercrime, but you can reduce your risk of an attack and the impact.”
According to the GCA, cybercrime costs the UK £29 billion a year, nearly 1% of GDP. The GCA – set up by the New York County District Attorney, the City of London Police and Center for Internet Security – has developed technology to reduce spoof emails and block dangerous websites.
The alliance, which has 238 partners including Barclays, Sony and Microsoft, developed a cybersecurity configuration tool to make it easier for businesses to implement the ‘Dmarc standard’, which protects against email addresses being hijacked and used by fraudsters to send ‘spoof’ emails. Most cybercrime originates from ‘phishing’ and 77% of mail domains can be ‘spoofed’, according to the GCA.
Bates said it was easy to switch Dmarc on, adding: “It stops people pretending to be you using email.”
Computers can also be set to run Quad 9 – another GCA security tool – which blocks users from dangerous or fake websites, he added. Bates compared Dmarc to washing your hands to protect yourself from catching a flu bug and Quad 9 to immunising yourself against bacteria.