Tech expert Shelly Palmer, LinkedIn's "No. 1 Voice in Technology" for 2017:
Shelly Palmer
When it comes to cybsecurity, Palmer says it's impossible to protect everything.
"It can't be done," he said. "So you have to make a concerted effort to protect the things that you really need to protect."
- Don't click on anything, from anybody, ever. Go to the website yourself; call the phone number.
- Buy the best cyber insurance you can afford and accurately comply with the insurer's terms of service.
- The strongest password is the longest one: "Create a long password in plain English using non-sequitur words."
Max Goldfarb, chief technology officer, Travel Leaders Group:
Max Goldfarb
More than 60% of online fraud is the result of human error, according to Goldfarb. To prevent it, he offers a list of ways travel agencies can try to protect themselves and their clients:
- Call customers for payment and financial information.
- Use secure, third-party applications to gather payment information.
- Store credit card information in secure, encrypted databases.
- Never leave sensitive information unattended, whether on paper or in a computer. Shred any paper with credit card information.
- Have a cybersecurity plan, and train employees to follow best practices.
- Implement multifactor authentication for email and online booking portals.
- Avoid clicking links or opening attachments in unexpected emails or from unknown senders.
- If an email is unexpected, call the sender to make sure any links or attachments are legitimate.
- Never click on a link that asks for a login.
- Verify any transactions with travel dates within three days of booking, and/or uncommon origin/destination pairings.