Industry Overview
Costa Rica's tourism sector generates $5.4 billion annually and represents 8.2% of GDP. The industry runs on trust — guests share credit card numbers, passport details, and travel plans with properties that often lack basic cybersecurity protections. Meanwhile, attackers have noticed. The RevengeHotels campaign — which specifically targets Latin American hospitality businesses — returned in 2025 with AI-generated malware. Booking.com phishing operations compromise hotel partner accounts to contact guests with real booking details. And PCI DSS 4.0.1 requirements that became mandatory in March 2025 carry penalties of $5,000–$100,000 per month for non-compliance.
At the same time, most Costa Rican hotels are paying 15–30% of their revenue in OTA commissions because they lack a direct-booking-capable website. Properties in Guanacaste and the Southern Pacific struggle with connectivity that can barely support guest Wi-Fi, let alone secure payment processing. And seasonal staffing means the person managing your front desk computer in high season may have minimal cybersecurity training.
We work with tourism and hospitality businesses across Costa Rica to address all of these challenges — from securing your payment systems and guest data to building websites that drive direct bookings, managing your IT infrastructure, and deploying AI chatbots that handle reservation inquiries in multiple languages around the clock.
What's Targeting Hospitality Businesses Right Now
RevengeHotels (TA558)
A cybercrime group active since 2015 that specifically targets hotels in Latin America, including Costa Rica. They send spear-phishing emails disguised as reservation requests. When front desk staff open the attachments, malware silently captures credit card data from your property management system and online booking platforms. The 2025 variant uses AI-generated code, making detection significantly harder.
Booking.com Partner Account Compromise
Attackers steal hotel partner credentials through fake CAPTCHA pages, then use real Booking.com messaging to contact your guests with legitimate booking details, redirecting them to fraudulent payment portals. Over 700 malicious domains have been identified in this campaign. Your guests believe they're communicating with your hotel.
Payment Card Skimming
The most vulnerable systems in hospitality are payment/POS terminals (72% of attacks), guest Wi-Fi networks (56%), and front desk systems (34%). Attackers install skimming malware on payment terminals or intercept card data in transit over unsecured networks.
Guest Wi-Fi Exploitation
Unsegmented networks allow attackers who connect to your guest Wi-Fi to access your business systems, POS terminals, and staff devices on the same network.
Frequently Asked Questions
We're a small eco-lodge, not a Marriott. Do we really need cybersecurity?
If you process credit cards — even through a third-party terminal — you're subject to PCI DSS requirements. If you store guest names, passport numbers, or email addresses — you're subject to Ley 8968 data protection requirements. The RevengeHotels campaign specifically targets small independent properties because they typically have weaker defenses than large chains. Size doesn't reduce your risk; it increases it.
How much does a direct-booking website cost versus what we pay in OTA commissions?
A custom hospitality website with booking engine integration typically costs $5,000–$12,000 to build. If your property generates $200,000/year through OTAs at a 20% average commission, you're paying $40,000/year in fees. Even shifting 25% of bookings to direct reduces your commission costs by $10,000/year — the website pays for itself in months, not years.
Our internet in Guanacaste is unreliable. Can you still help with IT?
Yes — this is exactly the kind of challenge we solve. We design network environments with failover configurations, satellite backup options (Starlink), local caching, and offline-capable POS systems. Reliable IT in rural Costa Rica requires different architecture than San José — and we build for both.
What does PCI DSS compliance involve for a small hotel?
Most independent Costa Rican hotels fall under PCI Level 3 or Level 4, which requires a Self-Assessment Questionnaire, quarterly vulnerability scans, and implementation of specific security controls. It's significantly less burdensome than enterprise compliance — but the penalties for non-compliance are the same. We guide you through the entire process.