NordVPN - Experts & Thought Leaders

If checking into a hotel or dining out, people might assume their personal data is safe. But a new study by NordPass, in collaboration with NordStellar, reveals that many hospitality businesses are guarding their digital systems with shockingly weak passwords. From hotel reservation platforms to restaurant point-of-sale systems, the research exposes an industry-wide habit of reusing predictable, outdated, or brand-specific passwords. Entries like “Reservations2022,” “Comfortinn4,” and “Ramada@123” were found among the most commonly used, making it alarmingly easy for cybercriminals to gain access to sensitive information. Guest data unsafe from cybercriminals “In hotels and restaurants, guests expect great service – not for their personal data to be on the menu. When weak passwords are used to protect booking systems, POS terminals, or staff accounts, it’s an open invitation to cybercriminals,” says Karolis Arbaciauskas, Head of Business Product at NordPass. Top 20 not-so-secrect passwords in hospitality The following list highlights the most frequent passwords used by hospitality businesses - a stark reminder of the urgent need to improve password hygiene in this critical industry: 1.           THINKIN2023 2.           123456 3.           Ids@1001 4.           reservations2019 5.           Reservations2022 6.           developer2 7.           Ramada@123 8.           12345678 9.           abanico12 10.         Reservations2021! 11.         P@ssw0rd 12.         123456789 13.         Comfortinn4 14.         V1n1c1u5 15.         GrandE@2022@ 16.         1234 17.         Always4u! 18.         Zone@1234 19.         reservations2021 20.         M@$ter1318 The presence of multiple “reservations” variants and brand-related terms suggests that many businesses still lack clear password hygiene policies. Securing client data Despite intensifying cyber risks, many hospitality businesses, especially smaller ones, lack awareness on why they should and how they should secure clients’ data. NordPass recommends that the hospitality sector take urgent steps to improve its cybersecurity posture: Provide regular employee training on cybersecurity. Educating staff on password hygiene and cyber risks helps build a security-aware culture and reduces human error. Avoid company names, dates, or role-specific terms in passwords. These are easy for hackers to guess or find through social engineering and should never be used. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA). Adding an extra layer of verification helps protect accounts even if a password is compromised. Adopt secure password managers for teams. Password managers simplify the creation and storage of strong passwords, ensuring everyone follows best security practices. What is NordPass NordPass is a password manager for both business and consumer clients. It's powered by the latest technology for the utmost security. Developed with affordability, simplicity, and ease of use in mind, NordPass allows users to access passwords securely on desktop, mobile, and browsers. All passwords are encrypted on the device, so only the user can access them. NordPass was created by the experts behind NordVPN — the advanced security and privacy app.

NordVPN, an innovative cybersecurity company, now includes essential identity theft recovery coverage in its cyber insurance benefits for customers in the United Kingdom. This ID theft recovery coverage complements the scam loss recovery protection that the company already offers through partnerships with select insurance providers. Cyber insurance benefits are included in the NordVPN Ultimate bundle subscription plan at no additional cost. This plan also features the NordVPN virtual private network service, the NordPass password manager, and other advanced security features. Identity theft protection NordVPN’s cyber insurance benefits for customers in the United Kingdom include ID theft recovery “Identity theft is a crime that can lead to multiple other offenses and severe financial losses, as criminals use stolen identities to commit further fraud. That’s why we are enhancing our cyber insurance benefits to bridge the cyber protection gap in the areas that matter most today and to support our customers affected by cybercriminals,” says Tomas Sinicki, managing director at NordProtect. Currently, NordVPN’s cyber insurance benefits for customers in the United Kingdom include ID theft recovery and scam loss recovery. ID theft recovery provides reimbursement for necessary legal expenses incurred while restoring a user's identity after falling victim to identity theft. It includes restoration of the user’s credit rating, e-money accounts, bank accounts, mortgages, and loans. Identity theft recovery Additionally, it ensures the removal of any civil judgments wrongfully entered against the user and helps prevent further fraudulent use of their identity. Furthermore, ID theft recovery reimburses lost income if the user has to take time off work to resolve identity theft issues. Scam loss recovery provides reimbursement when a user has transferred funds from a personal account in response to a cyber scam. This includes instances where victims are deceived into opening or responding to fraudulent emails, text messages, or phone calls that appear to be from legitimate entities or trusted contacts. NordVPN’s cyber insurance coverage Customers can claim reimbursements of up to £5,000 within a 12-month period if they are unable to recover their lost funds Customers can claim reimbursements of up to £5,000 within a 12-month period if they are unable to recover their lost funds through their bank, credit card provider, or other financial institution. Cyber insurance benefits are available to affected customers worldwide, 24/7. NordVPN’s cyber insurance coverage is available to customers residing in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Germany, and Italy. In the United States, NordVPN’s identity theft protection solution, NordProtect, provides protection against identity theft, cyber extortion, and online fraud. NordProtect can be purchased as part of the NordVPN Prime plan or as a standalone service.

NordLayer, a toggle-ready network security platform for business from the cybersecurity powerhouse that created NordVPN, is preparing to launch a new-generation enterprise browser. The upcoming NordLayer Enterprise Browser, built on years of experience developing tools to combat cyber threats, will feature a wide range of security capabilities to protect modern businesses as their daily tasks shift to the web. Depend on web applications "Introducing an enterprise browser is a natural progression for us. We’ve established a strong foundation in securing business networks, empowering organisations to protect and manage their traffic at the network level. Over the past two years, we’ve already made strides in the browser security space with the launch of our browser extension." "As enterprises increasingly depend on web applications, it’s clear that the browser has become a critical gateway — essential not just for productivity but also as a frontline for security," says Donatas Tamelis, managing director at NordLayer. Gartner predicts by 2030 Gartner predicts that by 2030, enterprise browsers will be the go-to platform for productivity and security Tamelis added: "With the introduction of a full-fledged enterprise browser, CISOs and security teams will be able to control security settings in the browser, manage network access and segmentation, and observe users’ activity without interrupting them." Gartner predicts that by 2030, enterprise browsers will be the go-to platform for productivity and security. They'll work across both managed and unmanaged devices, making hybrid work smoother than ever. Cybersecurity challenges The NordLayer Enterprise Browser will help organisations to navigate and combat the cybersecurity challenges emerging from current workplace trends, such as the shift to a web-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) application environment. According to research, 50% of employees claim they can complete all of their work using a web browser, and 80% rely on one for most tasks due to the growing transition to the web. Advanced security policies The switch from desktop to web-based apps requires more safety measures in the browser itself The switch from desktop to web-based apps requires more safety measures in the browser itself. The enterprise browser will provide defense against critical web-based threats, including phishing attacks, malware infiltration, unauthorised data sharing, and dangerous file transfer vulnerabilities. NordLayer’s solution will offer centralised security control for CISOs and security teams. It will make setting up and enforcing advanced security policies in the browser easier, safeguarding sensitive business data. Adoption of the BYOD policy Additionally, the product will provide high-level observability and quicker incident response, while the built-in security features will ensure stronger threat prevention. The enterprise browser will also address the risks associated with the increasing adoption of the bring your own device (BYOD) policy. Two-thirds of surveyed organisations estimate that at least 50% of devices on their network are unmanaged. Additional intrusive security apps NordLayer Enterprise Browser will simplify network security for corps with unmanaged devices The NordLayer Enterprise Browser will simplify network security for organisations with unmanaged devices. It will eliminate the need to deploy and maintain other endpoint software on personal hardware and lower the expenses of containing unmanaged devices on an organization’s network. Consequently, the browser will refine device oversight by allowing companies to transition from fully managed to partially or unmanaged hardware, reducing device management costs in general. The product will further support BYOD equipment, ensuring employees can securely access the organization’s resources through the browser alone without installing additional intrusive security apps on personal devices, providing a user-friendly experience. Key capabilities of NordLayer Enterprise Browser Key capabilities to expect from the NordLayer Enterprise Browser: Enhanced security measures and more control. The solution will offer high-level observability and full-scale response features — all in one package. A combination of ZTNA and SWG for a unified solution. The browser will merge years of NordLayer experience and capability to combine zero trust network access (ZTNA) and secure web gateway (SWG) features into one solution. Data loss prevention (DLP). Controls for copy-paste functionality as well as camera and microphone use and prevention of unauthorised downloads and uploads will help protect sensitive company information.  Centralised control. The enterprise browser will allow CISOs and security teams to establish and enforce advanced security policies for all users effortlessly. Support for business growth. Designed to scale with businesses, it will ensure security without disrupting workflows or compromising employee productivity.