Case Studies Connecting the World Through Technology and Hospitality

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	Connecting the World Through Technology and Hospitality

Connecting the World Through Technology and Hospitality

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Machine Learning Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management
Applicable Functions	Business Operation Quality Assurance
Services	Cybersecurity Services System Integration Training
Challenge	Choice Hotels faced significant challenges in protecting their vast email attack surface, which included data from 50 million loyalty members and other guests. The hospitality industry is highly targeted due to the valuable guest data it holds, making it a prime target for nation-state actors and financially motivated criminals. Despite deploying two secure email gateways, advanced threats continued to bypass these defenses, exploiting over 120 of the company's vendors to attempt phishing, invoice, and payroll fraud. The company needed a solution that could prevent these advanced email threats that their current security measures and personnel training couldn't catch. Read More
About Customer	Choice Hotels is one of the world's largest lodging franchisors, with 7,100 hotels under various brand names, ranging from upscale to economy properties. The company is responsible for protecting the data of 50 million loyalty members and other guests. The hospitality industry, known for its welcoming and helpful culture, is a prime target for cybercriminals. Choice Hotels' CISO, Jason Stead, highlights the industry's vulnerability to social engineering attacks, which exploit the willingness of employees to provide excellent service. The company faced significant challenges in securing its email communications, which are critical for connecting its vast ecosystem of hotels and customers. Read More
Solution	Choice Hotels integrated Abnormal with Microsoft 365 to enhance their email security. The integration process was straightforward, taking less than five minutes to set up an account. Abnormal's AI-based detection engine began delivering results soon after the proof of value (POV) meeting. The solution provided proactive alerts when leaders or employees were about to fall victim to advanced email threats, allowing the company to mitigate these attacks in real-time. Abnormal's AI-driven behavioral benchmarking detected phishing and vendor email compromise attacks, preventing potential wire fraud and other malicious activities. The solution also enabled intelligence sharing with other hotel chains, helping to uplift the entire hospitality industry. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Machine Learning

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Quality Assurance

Services

Cybersecurity Services

System Integration

Training

Challenge

Choice Hotels faced significant challenges in protecting their vast email attack surface, which included data from 50 million loyalty members and other guests. The hospitality industry is highly targeted due to the valuable guest data it holds, making it a prime target for nation-state actors and financially motivated criminals. Despite deploying two secure email gateways, advanced threats continued to bypass these defenses, exploiting over 120 of the company's vendors to attempt phishing, invoice, and payroll fraud. The company needed a solution that could prevent these advanced email threats that their current security measures and personnel training couldn't catch.

About Customer

Choice Hotels is one of the world's largest lodging franchisors, with 7,100 hotels under various brand names, ranging from upscale to economy properties. The company is responsible for protecting the data of 50 million loyalty members and other guests. The hospitality industry, known for its welcoming and helpful culture, is a prime target for cybercriminals. Choice Hotels' CISO, Jason Stead, highlights the industry's vulnerability to social engineering attacks, which exploit the willingness of employees to provide excellent service. The company faced significant challenges in securing its email communications, which are critical for connecting its vast ecosystem of hotels and customers.

Solution

Choice Hotels integrated Abnormal with Microsoft 365 to enhance their email security. The integration process was straightforward, taking less than five minutes to set up an account. Abnormal's AI-based detection engine began delivering results soon after the proof of value (POV) meeting. The solution provided proactive alerts when leaders or employees were about to fall victim to advanced email threats, allowing the company to mitigate these attacks in real-time. Abnormal's AI-driven behavioral benchmarking detected phishing and vendor email compromise attacks, preventing potential wire fraud and other malicious activities. The solution also enabled intelligence sharing with other hotel chains, helping to uplift the entire hospitality industry.

Impact #1	Abnormal's AI and ML features automatically adjusted against the baseline of known good activity, resulting in no issues with the product.
Impact #2	The solution reduced SOC response efforts by 36% during the company's busiest season for email activity and threats, freeing up the team for threat intelligence gathering and threat hunting.
Impact #3	Abnormal's dashboard provided real social engineering attack examples for awareness training, enhancing employee education both for corporate and personal use.

Impact #1

Abnormal's AI and ML features automatically adjusted against the baseline of known good activity, resulting in no issues with the product.

Impact #2

The solution reduced SOC response efforts by 36% during the company's busiest season for email activity and threats, freeing up the team for threat intelligence gathering and threat hunting.

Impact #3

Abnormal's dashboard provided real social engineering attack examples for awareness training, enhancing employee education both for corporate and personal use.

Benefit #1	100% of reported malicious phishing emails were auto-remediated by Abnormal.
Benefit #2	SOC response efforts were reduced by 36% from March through May.

Benefit #1

100% of reported malicious phishing emails were auto-remediated by Abnormal.

Benefit #2

SOC response efforts were reduced by 36% from March through May.

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Overview

Connecting the World Through Technology and Hospitality

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit