About the Company
With resorts located around the U.S., a well-known hotel chain had sensitive information across a decentralized environment. This made it difficult to adhere to compliance regulations and keep sensitive information like credit card data safe. They chose Spirion because it’s the best in the world at accurate, automated and continuous Discovery, Classification and Remediation of at-risk sensitive data.
Challenge
The hotel chain with more than a dozen properties, was struggling to manage the security of payment card data and other sensitive information across its decentralized operations. Each property managed its own secure systems (e.g., Property Management Systems and payment servers) while adhering to PCI-DSS regulations. However, sensitive data, including credit card information, was frequently mishandled by employees via unapproved channels like email and unencrypted files.
This behavior violated PCI policies, increased the risk of a data breach, and expanded the Cardholder Data Environment (CDE), driving up compliance costs. The hotel chain needed a solution that could enforce consistent data security across all properties while minimizing disruption to operations.
Solution
The hotel chain selected Spirion’s for its ability to accurately discover, classify, and remediate sensitive data across their decentralized environment, the foundation of Data Security Posture Management (DSPM).
Spirion offered:
- Accurate Discovery and Classification: Spirion’s platform achieves 98.5% accuracy in discovering sensitive data across all environments (cloud, on-premises, and endpoints), ensuring PCI compliance.
- Centralized Management: Spirion’s console enabled the organization to enforce security policies across all locations from a single dashboard. Regular scans and automated reporting ensure compliance across the board.
- Automation and Integration: Spirion seamlessly integrates with existing security tools (e.g., DLPs, NGFWs, encryption), enhancing their effectiveness. Automated remediation through playbook-based controls provided instant data protection actions like redaction and encryption.
Additionally, Spirion’s Sensitive Data Watcher feature provided real-time visibility into who accesses sensitive data and how it is used.
Results
Implementing Spirion’s DSPM solution were transformative for the hospitality chain, providing significant improvements in data security, operational efficiency, and compliance posture:
100% PCI-DSS Compliance: Automated data discovery and protection ensured compliance across all properties, reducing risks of non-compliance penalties.
- Reduced Risk of Data Breaches: Spirion’s precise discovery and remediation significantly reduces the risk of sensitive data mishandling or exposure, proactively securing data across the organization.
- Cost Savings and Efficiency: The platform’s centralized reporting led to a reduction in compliance audit costs by minimizing the CDE and simplifying audit preparations.
- Seamless Integration with Operations: Spirion’s automated processes allows for minimal disruption, enabling employees to maintain productivity while security policies were enforced in the background.
The hotel chain enjoyed a more secure and compliant environment thanks to Spirion’s DSPM solution, which not only ensured accurate and automated protection of sensitive data but also integrated seamlessly with their existing security infrastructure — proving that when it comes to sensitive data, precision and continuous protection make all the difference.
