Marriott says data breachmayaffectup to half billion guests

HOTEL giant Marriott has announced that data of 500 million guests may have been exposed during breaches in a reservation database that began in 2014.

The “data security incident” hit the system for its Starwood portfolio, which includes Trump Turnberry in Ayrshire as well as London’s Park Lane Sheraton Grand, Westbury Mayfair and Le Meridien Piccadilly.

The firm said the breach contains the information of up to half a billion guests who booked before September 10 this year.

It stored information including passport numbers, payment card numbers, dates of births, names, addresses and phone numbers.

Marriott is yet to establish how many UK customers have

Apology: Marriott

been affected. The breach was spotted in the Starwood guest reservation database in the US on September 8 and the company “discovered that an unauthorised party had copied and encrypted information, and took steps towards removing it”.

Researchers decrypted the information and determined its contents were from the Starwood reservation databases on November 19, Marriott said.

Company president and chief executive Arne Sorenson said: “We deeply regret this incident happened. We fell short of what our guests deserve and what we expect of ourselves.

“We are doing everything we can to support our guests.”

The Maryland-based firm, which has hotels across the globe, said law enforcement agencies are investigating.

The National Crime Agency said it is making inquiries, and the New York Attorney General has also opened an investigation.

The Information Commissioner’s Office has began making inquiries over the breach and has the power to impose large fines.

“We’ve received a data breach report from Marriott Hotels involving its Starwood hotels and will be making inquiries,” it said.

“We advise people who may have been affected to be vigilant and to follow advice from the ICO and National Cyber Security Centre websites.”