Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Shutterstock/Brian A Jackson
data hack

Marriott International says up to 500 million hotel guests affected by hack

Marriott was alerted on 8 September that there has been an attempt to hack their reservation database in the US.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL HAS said that up to 500 million hotel guests may have had their data compromised in a hack of the Starwood reservation database.

The Shelbourne Hotel and the Westin Hotel in Dublin are part of the Marriott International group. The Shelbourne Hotel has confirmed that it has never been a Starwood hotel. 

Marriott said it was alerted on 8 September that there had been an attempt to hack their reservation database in the US.

The company launched a probe, and discovered “that there had been unauthorised access to the Starwood network since 2014″.

They discovered “that an unauthorised party had copied and encrypted information, and took steps towards removing it”. 

On 19 November, Marriott ”was able to decrypt the information and determined that the contents were from the Starwood guest reservation database”. 

Other hotels in the Starwood network include Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton and W Hotels.

“We deeply regret this incident happened,” said Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

“We fell short of what our guests deserve and what we expect of ourselves.”

With reporting by Hayley Halpin

© AFP 2018

Your Voice
Readers Comments
6
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

    Leave a commentcancel