Marriott Data Breach November 2018

What Was the Breach?

The resort and hotel chain Marriott has suffered through a string of nasty data breaches in recent years. Search the web for Marriott digital security breaches, and you will find more than half a dozen results detailing how the hotel giant has been compromised. In particular, the breach of November in 2018 was especially harmful due to its magnitude.

How Did the Breach Occur?

The breach happened when hackers obtained illegal access to the company’s database. The database accessed in the attack contains information about guests who stayed at the company's Starwood properties. The company states it was provided with a notification from one of its digital security tools pointing to the attempt to obtain access to the guest reservation database. Marriott representatives admit the hacker copied and subsequently encrypted data on hotel customers.

When Did the Breach Occur?

This particular breach occurred in November 2018.

Who Does the Breach Impact?

The breach impacts the customers who stayed at Starwood hotels owned by Marriott in the years preceding 2018.

How Many Files Does the Breach Affect?

Marriott states that the attack impacted upwards of 500 million guests who provided information for hotel reservations at Starwood properties. The company also noted that hackers accessed the names, mailing addresses, passport numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, and other information of nearly 330 million guests in the attack.

Customers who made reservations at a Marriott Starwood property should be aware of the threat to their identity and proactively monitor their credit for signs of identity theft moving forward. It will also help to boost your digital defenses against emerging threats.

To find out more about this breach, read our article: Marriott Hack: The Story of Marriott Data Breach.