As the latest example of the need for constant concern for your cyber security while travelling, another massive data breach made headlines this week, again affecting holiday and business travellers.
The hotel chain Marriott International disclosed a massive data breach affecting 500 million consumers who made reservations at Starwood hotels.
Compromised data includes name, address, phone, email, passport number, and date of birth. For some victims, the stolen information also includes credit card numbers and expiration dates.
If you’ve stayed at any of the following Starwood properties, you’ve been affected:
Westin
Sheraton
The Luxury Collection
Four Points by Sheraton
W Hotels
St. Regis
Le Méridien
Aloft
Element
Tribute Portfolio
Design Hotels
What should you do?
Keep a watchful eye on your inbox. Opportunistic scammers know about the data breach and will send out phishing emails designed to look like official correspondence from Marriott/Starwood, law enforcement, financial institutions, or any organization related to the data breach. Be super suspicious of anything related to this topic, particularly with any download links.