# [merged] Marriot's Starwood Hotel reservation database has been hacked



## Ralph Sir Edward (Nov 30, 2018)

I'm providing this article for those who might be involved.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/30/mar...ched-onapproximately-500-million-guests-.html

This is for hotel stays, but who knows what the total ramifications might be.


----------



## cubigbird (Nov 30, 2018)

CNN reported this today:

Marriott says 500 million Starwood accounts compromised
https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/30/tech/marriott-hotels-hacked/index.html


----------



## mdurette (Nov 30, 2018)

LONDON — The Marriott International hotel chain said on Friday that the database of its Starwood reservation system had been hacked and that the personal details of up to 500 million guests going as far back as 2014 were compromised.

The hotel group, which runs more than 6,700 properties around the world, was informed in September about an attempt to access the database, and an investigation this month revealed that unauthorized access had been made on or before Sept. 10, Marriott said in a statement.

The investigation also found that an “unauthorized party had copied and encrypted information, and took steps toward removing it,” the statement said.

The hotel chain said that personal details including names, addresses, dates of birth, passport numbers, email addresses and phone numbers for hundreds of millions of guests may have been compromised.


----------



## pedro47 (Nov 30, 2018)

Thanks for sharing this information.


----------



## dsmrp (Nov 30, 2018)

Affecting reservations database of Starwood hotels. Potentially affecting 50 million guests! 
From Wash Post. https://wapo.st/2Rui0CpM


----------



## Renzo (Nov 30, 2018)

https://apple.news/A9sBRWRG7SSCKNyCaayPXiA


----------



## bogey21 (Nov 30, 2018)

The Marriott News Release says "up to 500 million" and that they "deeply regret it".  Apparently they acquired this problem from Starwood nonetheless you would think these big companies would control things better...

George


----------



## SmithOp (Nov 30, 2018)

bogey21 said:


> The Marriott News Release says "up to 500 million" and that they "deeply regret it".  Apparently they acquired this problem from Starwood nonetheless you would think these big companies would control things better...
> 
> George



Cost cutting to boost shareholder profits would be my assessment of why they don’t fund the IT security required to thwart hackers.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## dsmrp (Nov 30, 2018)

According to Wash Post article, the unauthorized access went back to 2014!!!
Astounding


----------



## gravitar (Nov 30, 2018)

From an article I read this morning. 

Marriott-owned Starwood the largest hotel chain in the world, with more than 11 brands covering 1,200 properties, including W Hotels, St. Regis, Sheraton, Westin, Element and more. Starwood branded timeshare properties are also included.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


----------



## geist1223 (Nov 30, 2018)

Marriott recently released the information that the Starwood Reservation System has been hacked continuously since 2014 affecting about 500,000,000 Users. It appears that those responsible also Hacked the encryption keys. So data including credit card information was probably compromised.


----------



## TravelTime (Nov 30, 2018)

Just what Marriott needs now. I wonder if this is somehow related to the the merger integration issues. They had so many systems issues during the merger that could that have somehow made them more vulnerable. I do not think they were ready for the merger and they need new IT people.

Just read the Wall Street Journal article. I guess Marriott is also concerned that people will be blaming the merger.

Marriott said its internal security tool alerted it of a potential breach to its U.S. database on Sept. 8. After an investigation, the company found that the Starwood guest database may have been compromised since 2014, which precedes Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood. The database contained information for guests who made reservations on or before Sept. 10.

The company found the unauthorized party had copied and encrypted information from the database, and had attempted to steal it. However, it wasn’t until Nov. 19 that Marriott was able to decrypt the information to find out what the contents of the breach were.​


----------



## bluehende (Nov 30, 2018)

geist1223 said:


> Marriott recently released the information that the Starwood Reservation System has been hacked continuously since 2014 affecting about 500,000,000 Users. It appears that those responsible also Hacked the encryption keys. So no data including credit card information was probably compromised.



I thought that 327 million of those did have data such as cc numbers passport numbers and dates of reservations compromised.  

edited to say it is not clear   here is a copy and paste of a comment from marriot


For 327 million people, Marriott says the guests' exposed information includes their names, phone numbers, email addresses, passport numbers, date of birth and arrival and departure information. For millions others, their credit card numbers and card expiration dates were potentially compromised.
Marriott warns that it can't confirm if the hackers were able to decrypt the credit card numbers.


----------



## TravelTime (Nov 30, 2018)

Some additional information:

The Marriott hack is one of the largest data breaches ever disclosed, measured by the number of individuals potentially affected. Only a 2013 breach of Yahoo AABA +1.21% that affected three billion people, nearly the entirety of Yahoo’s user base, may be bigger, security experts said.​
The compromise of passport information could be the most significant aspect of the Marriott breach, particularly if it was carried out by a state-sponsored actor for intelligence purposes, said Mr. Darche, a former official with National Security Agency.​
“We are devoting the resources necessary to phase out Starwood systems and accelerate the ongoing security enhancements to our network,” Mr. Sorenson said.​


----------



## TravelTime (Nov 30, 2018)

Wall Street Journal articles says a lot of personal data was potentially accessed:

For roughly two-thirds of the guests who were possibly affected, an unauthorized party may have had access to names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, passport numbers and travel details, Marriott said Friday. In some cases, the company said, the information also included payment-card information. Marriott said payment-card numbers are usually encrypted, though it could not rule out that card information was stolen.​


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte (Nov 30, 2018)

Moderator suggestion:  There are two active threads on this hack (the second is in the Marriott forum).  I suggest the threads be consolidated.  

I suggest merging into the Lounge forum, because there are many TUGgers (like myself) who might be affected but are not Marriott Vacation Club owners and don't spend time in the Marriott forum.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte (Nov 30, 2018)

Moderator suggestion: There are two active threads on this hack (the second is in the Lounge). I suggest the threads be consolidated.

I suggest merging into the Lounge forum, because there are many TUGgers (like myself) who might be affected but are not Marriott Vacation Club owners and don't spend time in the Marriott forum.


----------



## TravelTime (Nov 30, 2018)

This article has a summary of what may have happened:

https://www.travelagentcentral.com/...VLaTBvak82dUdTRkVJZ09qbzc5In0=&mrkid=77639252


----------



## controller1 (Nov 30, 2018)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Moderator suggestion: There are two active threads on this hack (the second is in the Lounge). I suggest the threads be consolidated.
> 
> I suggest merging into the Lounge forum, because there are many TUGgers (like myself) who might be affected but are not Marriott Vacation Club owners and don't spend time in the Marriott forum.



There's also a thread in the Vistana forum.


----------



## pedro47 (Nov 30, 2018)

Thanks you TravelTime for that very helpful article. First TJ Maxx, Target, now Marriott’s when is it going to stop?


----------



## brianfox (Nov 30, 2018)

bogey21 said:


> The Marriott News Release says "up to 500 million" and that they "deeply regret it".  Apparently they acquired this problem from Starwood nonetheless you would think these big companies would control things better...
> 
> George



But hey, at least they "deeply regret it".


Wouldn't surprise me if it was done by an IT worker who was cut as part of the consolidation.


----------



## amycurl (Nov 30, 2018)

Passport number is yuuuuuge, y'all. I'm sure they "deeply regret" it; the depth of their regret will be proportional to the depths that their stock prices sinks today and Monday. Talk about releasing this news on Take Out the Trash day....


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Nov 30, 2018)

500 Million Marriott Customers Affected in Massive Data Breach
By Bloomberg/ Business/ Security/ Time/ time.com

"Marriott International Inc. said it’s investigating a hack of the guest reservation database at its Starwood unit that may be one of the biggest such breaches in corporate history. Marriott shares slumped 5.6 percent in pre-market trading.

The attack is troubling not just because of its sheer size, but also the level of detail potentially stolen by the attackers. The hack affects some 500 million guests, and for about 327 million of them, the data included passport numbers, emails and mailing addresses, Marriott said. Some credit card details may also have been taken.

The Marriott hack may rank only below Yahoo as one of the biggest of personal data, when 3 billion users were exposed to a 2013 security breach.

Regulators and consumers have been stepping up their action against companies that have suffered security breaches as such attacks have increasingly become more severe. Target Corp. last year agreed to pay $18.5 million to settle investigations by dozens of states over a 2013 hack of its database in which the personal information of millions of customers was stolen, while Equifax is facing billion-dollar law suits and a regulatory investigation.

“The breach is so big that the company may face a large fine from the authorities and the market is factoring that in,” said Juan Jose Fernandez Figares, chief analyst at Link Securities in Madrid. “This is yet another company that has been hit by a hacking and a reminder to any company that manages customers’s personal data that they need to work harder to protect them from future attacks.”

Marriott’s statement indicates the hacking was going on years before the company acquired Starwood in a deal valued at about $13.6 billion that closed in September 2016. Marriott’s database contained guest information relating to reservations at Starwood properties on or before Sept. 10, 2018. For some, it also included payment card details, said Marriott, which didn’t identify who the perpetrators might be....."

Richard


----------



## sea&ski (Nov 30, 2018)

Regardless whether you have actively stayed in a SPG related venue, I just checked and my Marriott p.w. is exactly the same as the Starwood one, so when did that occur??? and I think it may be prudent to change passwords (at the very least.)  Probably won't stop the real "damage" if there is any, but I've stuck my finger in the dam in any case...


----------



## controller1 (Nov 30, 2018)

brianfox said:


> But hey, at least they "deeply regret it".
> 
> 
> Wouldn't surprise me if it was done by an IT worker who was cut as part of the consolidation.



That person would have had a great crystal ball since the breach began in 2014.


----------



## mdurette (Nov 30, 2018)

amycurl said:


> Passport number is yuuuuuge, y'all. I'm sure they "deeply regret" it; the depth of their regret will be proportional to the depths that their stock prices sinks today and Monday. Talk about releasing this news on Take Out the Trash day....



I haven’t traveled much out of the country, but when we have I don’t recall ever having to give my hotel my passport number.    Is this normal protocol?


----------



## VacationForever (Nov 30, 2018)

The only place that we have had to submit a copy of our passports was Westin Lagunamar.  I wonder if they scanned the images into the system.


----------



## tombanjo (Nov 30, 2018)

Many foreign countries ask hotels to get a copy of passports of non-citizens staying there.


----------



## Karen G (Nov 30, 2018)

Has anyone here ever been affected by a breach of this type? There have been other big data breaches but I haven't really heard stories of victims of such a breach.


----------



## tombanjo (Nov 30, 2018)

500 million emails addresses to send spam to is worth something on the darkweb.


----------



## breezez (Nov 30, 2018)

Maybe that’s what happened to my 500 million SPG Points.   I should call and say I want them back.


----------



## VegasBella (Dec 1, 2018)

These things keep happening. As consumers, there's not much we can do about it. We just become victims over and over.


----------



## bbodb1 (Dec 1, 2018)

mdurette said:


> I haven’t traveled much out of the country, but when we have I don’t recall ever having to give my hotel my passport number.    Is this normal protocol?



A person is required to show id at check in and a passport is accepted for this purpose according to a story I heard yesterday.


----------



## bbodb1 (Dec 1, 2018)

Karen G said:


> Has anyone here ever been affected by a breach of this type? There have been other big data breaches but I haven't really heard stories of victims of such a breach.



Karen,

It is likely we all have given the number of breaches that have already occurred (not just this one, but several other breaches of recent memory - Target and Equiax come to my mind - but there are far too many others).. To your point though, yes, I have had attempts to open accounts in my name with stores I have never shopped in areas of the country I have never been.  That is one aspect of what makes a breach of data so serious - the problems do NOT necessarily start soon after the breach.  It may be weeks, months even years before some data is used - long after the sensationalism of the story itself fades.  

I watch my credit info religiously - perhaps too much so I suppose - because of the potential for unauthorized use.  I hate to say it, but it is what one has to do these days. 

Fortunately, I caught the unauthorized activity early on so it was not much of a problem to deal with but it did take time.


----------



## TXTortoise (Dec 1, 2018)

Probably a good time to remind folks about this...

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs


----------



## klpca (Dec 1, 2018)

Were timeshare stays reflected on the SPG site? If not, I feel somewhat safe.

I've stopped worrying on a personal level about hacks. I watch my credit and my accounts, and try my best to protect data on my end, but it's always the business on the other side that manages to get hacked. I get a bit peeved that I have to set super strong passwords for everything, yet the back end gets hacked.


----------



## x3 skier (Dec 1, 2018)

pedro47 said:


> Thanks you TravelTime for that very helpful article. First TJ Maxx, Target, now Marriott’s when is it going to stop?



It isn’t.

My info has been compromised so many times I just locked my credit and ignore it. Can’t do much else anyway. 

Cheers


----------



## bbodb1 (Dec 1, 2018)

klpca said:


> Were timeshare stays reflected on the SPG site? If not, I feel somewhat safe.
> 
> I've stopped worrying on a personal level about hacks. I watch my credit and my accounts, and try my best to protect data on my end, but it's always the business on the other side that manages to get hacked. I get a bit peeved that I have to set super strong passwords for everything, yet the back end gets hacked.



And until a company is meaningfully held responsible for a data breach, companies will continue to pay lip service to security - claiming they are doing all they can while minimizing spending on data security.


----------



## VacationForever (Dec 1, 2018)

klpca said:


> Were timeshare stays reflected on the SPG site? If not, I feel somewhat safe.
> 
> I've stopped worrying on a personal level about hacks. I watch my credit and my accounts, and try my best to protect data on my end, but it's always the business on the other side that manages to get hacked. I get a bit peeved that I have to set super strong passwords for everything, yet the back end gets hacked.


You are only thinking of what you saw on spg.com.  I believe Vistana and Starwood reservations and account information were stored in the same database system.  The hack was not at the interface, which was what you saw on spg.com.  The hack was done at the database level.


----------



## pedro47 (Dec 2, 2018)

Our credit account & our scores has been in a freeze status for years at the three (3) credit bureaus.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte (Dec 2, 2018)

klpca said:


> Were timeshare stays reflected on the SPG site? If not, I feel somewhat safe.
> 
> I've stopped worrying on a personal level about hacks. I watch my credit and my accounts, and try my best to protect data on my end, but it's always the business on the other side that manages to get hacked. I get a bit peeved that I have to set super strong passwords for everything, yet the back end gets hacked.



Per this story, the hack included Starwood timeshare information:



> Marriott reports that there has been unauthorized access to its Starwood guest reservation database, which contained guest information relating to reservations at Starwood properties on or before September 10. These include hotels under the W Hotels, St. Regis, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Element Hotels, Aloft Hotels, The Luxury Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, Four Points by Sheraton and Design Hotels brands,* as well as Starwood-branded timeshare properties*.


----------



## pedro47 (Dec 2, 2018)

Sounds liked severals Starwood employees  or just one very high level IT security  employees  with a very high  level access to data information.

Liked a team, one was a high level IT person and one person in a higher level position  in management who could approve this IT employee access without causing any notification to Starwood upper management or corporate IMHO.


----------



## Ralph Sir Edward (Dec 2, 2018)

Or an auditor gone bad.


----------



## pedro47 (Dec 2, 2018)

I feel an internal auditor would not have that can of high level computer access to that huge number of customers, personal information, passwords and credit card numbers. Plus an internal auditor could not transfer that amount of customer data without someone approval in management or Starwood  Corporate Office IMHO.


----------



## pedro47 (Dec 2, 2018)

Also, if this was done by an auditor their must an auditor trail of information.


----------



## dsmrp (Dec 2, 2018)

Maybe someone got a hold of a service account used by for data analytics reporting or a 3rd party sw application.
An individual's account should have been logged when it accesses database tables.
DBAs are generally loath to give access to anyone other than other DBAs 

I changed our Vistana timeshare and Marriott Rewards accounts passwords.
Not sure what we should do about our credit cards used for our stays except to monitor the charges each month,
which DH does anyway.

I work in healthcare.  If our patient data was hacked there would be (large) fines....


----------



## TravelTime (Dec 2, 2018)

*Marriott’s Starwood Missed Chance To Detect Huge Data Breach Years Earlier *
*Attack in 2015 could have prompted hotel operator to investigate and find hackers who lurked in its computer system, experts say*

By 
Robert McMillan
Dec. 2, 2018 5:11 p.m. ET

Marriott International Inc. MAR -5.59% says it responded quickly when it learned in recent weeks of a colossal theft of customer data. But cybersecurity specialists say the company missed a significant chance to halt the breach years earlier.

Marriott on Friday said the hack of the reservation database for its Starwood properties, which involved the theft of personal information on up to 500 million customers, began in 2014 and went undetected until this September.

In 2015, Starwood reported a much smaller breach, in which attackers installed malware on point-of-sale systems in some hotel restaurants and gift shops to siphon off payment-card information. It disclosed the attack four days after Marriott announced a deal to acquire Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide for what ended up being $13.6 billion, creating the No. 1 hotel company globally.

Marriott says that the 2015 incident was different and not related to the attack made public Friday. But security specialists say that while it’s not unusual for breach investigations to miss a second intruder, a more thorough investigation into the 2015 intrusion could have uncovered the attackers, who instead were able to lurk in its reservation system for three more years........................................................

https://www.wsj.com/articles/marrio...ach-years-earlier-1543788659?mod=hp_lead_pos7


----------



## tombanjo (Dec 2, 2018)

While it is prudent to change your password, this has been going on for several years. If you have used the same password and email combination at multiple sites, change those too.


----------



## sea&ski (Dec 3, 2018)

Exactly my response.  But there is so much more at offer here, or not.  Depends on what really was gleaned by the hackers.  Best to follow others' advice and have your credit accounts on permanent freeze.  A caveat: this can only be accomplished by filing police reports and documenting hard facts on identity theft.  The freeze can last up to 7 years, and requires some effort to undo, temporarily, when you need to have credit for one reason or another.


----------



## sea&ski (Dec 3, 2018)

"While it is prudent to change your password, this has been going on for several years. If you have used the same password and email combination at multiple sites, change those too"

Exactly what I said a few days ago, but changing your password does nothing for the data that is out there.  Marriott hasn't definitively said what was taken, if anything.  Putting a hold on credit accounts is a good first step.  A freeze on your accounts requires police reports and other documentation of identity theft.  And at that, it only lasts 7 years...


----------



## bazzap (Dec 4, 2018)

I guess this was inevitable
*Lawsuits filed and investigations launched after Starwood data breach*
https://www.travelmole.com/news_fea...n=2&m_id=s~Y!b_rdb&w_id=35545&news_id=2035159


----------



## VacationForever (Dec 4, 2018)

sea&ski said:


> "While it is prudent to change your password, this has been going on for several years. If you have used the same password and email combination at multiple sites, change those too"
> 
> Exactly what I said a few days ago, but changing your password does nothing for the data that is out there.  Marriott hasn't definitively said what was taken, if anything.  Putting a hold on credit accounts is a good first step.  A freeze on your accounts requires police reports and other documentation of identity theft.  And at that, it only lasts 7 years...


You do not need a police report to freeze your credit.


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Dec 4, 2018)

Starwood Data Hack: Marriott Says It'll Pay For New Passports
By Grace Dobush/ Briefing/ Marriott/ Fortune/ fortune.com

"Marriott has promised to pay for new passports for any of the 500 million Starwood customers whose personal information was exposed in a massive data breach. As many as 327 million people’s passport numbers may have been exposed in the breach, Marriott (mar, -5.03%) revealed Friday.

“As it relates to passports and potential fraud, we are setting up a process to work with our guests who believe that they have experienced fraud as a result of their passports being involved in this incident,” a Marriott spokesman told MarketWatch. “If, through that process, we determine that fraud has taken place, then the company will reimburse guests for the costs associated with getting a new passport.

Security experts say in a worst-case scenario, the passport data breach could create a larger security crisis, allowing malicious actors to create false passports to enter the country or open financial accounts, Francis Dinha of security platform OpenVPN told Marketwatch....."

Richard


----------



## dsmrp (Dec 6, 2018)

This article from CBS caught my eye:

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/marriott-data-breach-linked-to-china-hackers-reuters-reports/

Not sure what to believe as to cause. It will be a long time if they ever release reasons to the public.


----------



## jpc763 (Dec 6, 2018)

I got an email from Marriott today talking about this incident.  Does this mean I am one of the 500 million people?  I ask because I cannot remember ever staying in one of their hotels.

John


----------



## WinniWoman (Dec 9, 2018)

We do not own Marriott. Last year we did stay at a Marriot Fairfield Inn over the XMAS holiday, but that's about it. The top of this letter said it was from Starwood Hotels and Resorts.


Marriott values our guests and understands the importance of protecting your personal information. We have taken measures to investigate and address a data security incident involving the Starwood guest reservation database. The investigation has determined that there was unauthorized access to the database, which contained guest information relating to reservations at Starwood properties* on or before September 10, 2018. This notice explains what happened, measures we have taken, and some steps you can take in response.


  Starwood Guest Reservation Database Security Incident

On September 8, 2018, Marriott received an alert from an internal security tool regarding an attempt to access the Starwood guest reservation database. Marriott quickly engaged leading security experts to help determine what occurred. Marriott learned during the investigation that there had been unauthorized access to the Starwood network since 2014. Marriott recently discovered that an unauthorized party had copied and encrypted information, and took steps towards removing it. On November 19, 2018, Marriott was able to decrypt the information and determined that the contents were from the Starwood guest reservation database.


  Marriott has not finished identifying duplicate information in the database, but believes it contains information on up to approximately 500 million guests who made a reservation at a Starwood property. For approximately 327 million of these guests, the information includes some combination of name, mailing address, phone number, email address, passport number, Starwood Preferred Guest ("SPG") account information, date of birth, gender, arrival and departure information, reservation date, and communication preferences. For some, the information also includes payment card numbers and payment card expiration dates, but the payment card numbers were encrypted using Advanced Encryption Standard encryption (AES-128). There are two components needed to decrypt the payment card numbers, and at this point, Marriott has not been able to rule out the possibility that both were taken. For the remaining guests, the information was limited to name and sometimes other data such as mailing address, email address, or other information.


  Marriott reported this incident to law enforcement and continues to support their investigation. The company is also notifying regulatory authorities.


  Marriott deeply regrets this incident happened. From the start, we moved quickly to contain the incident and conduct a thorough investigation with the assistance of leading security experts. Marriott is working hard to ensure our guests have answers to questions about their personal information with a dedicated website and call center. We are supporting the efforts of law enforcement and working with leading security experts to improve. Marriott is also devoting the resources necessary to phase out Starwood systems and accelerate the ongoing security enhancements to our network.


  Guest Support

Marriott has taken the following steps to help you monitor and protect your information:


  Dedicated Call Center

Marriott has established a dedicated call center to answer questions you may have about this incident. The call center is open seven days a week, and is available in multiple languages. Our dedicated call center may experience high volume initially, and we appreciate your patience.


  Email notification

Marriott began sending emails on a rolling basis on November 30, 2018 to affected guests whose email addresses are in the Starwood guest reservation database.


  Free WebWatcher Enrollment

Marriott is providing guests the opportunity to enroll in WebWatcher free of charge for one year. WebWatcher monitors internet sites where personal information is shared and generates an alert to the consumer if evidence of the consumer’s personal information is found. Due to regulatory and other reasons, WebWatcher or similar products are not available in all countries. Guests from the United States who complete the WebWatcher enrollment process will also be provided fraud consultation services and reimbursement coverage for free.


  The section below provides additional information on steps you can take. If you have questions about this notification and to enroll in WebWatcher (if it is available in your country), please visit info.starwoodhotels.com.


  * Starwood brands include: W Hotels, St. Regis, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Element Hotels, Aloft Hotels, The Luxury Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, Four Points by Sheraton and Design Hotels. Starwood branded timeshare properties are also included.


  Best wishes,




  Arne Sorenson


  MORE INFORMATION ON STEPS YOU CAN TAKE


  Regardless of where you reside, below are some additional steps you can take.



• Monitor your SPG account for any suspicious activity.
• Change your password regularly. Do not use easily guessed passwords. Do not use the same passwords for multiple accounts.
• Review your payment card account statements for unauthorized activity and immediately report unauthorized activity to the bank that issued your card.
• Be vigilant against third parties attempting to gather information by deception (commonly known as "phishing"), including through links to fake websites. Marriott will not ask you to provide your password by phone or email.
• If you believe you are the victim of identity theft or your personal data has been misused, you should immediately contact your national data protection authority or local law enforcement.


  If you are a resident of the United States:

We remind you it is always advisable to be vigilant for incidents of fraud or identity theft by reviewing your account statements and free credit reports for any unauthorized activity. You may obtain a copy of your credit report, free of charge, once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies. To order your annual free credit report, please visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228. Contact information for the three nationwide credit reporting companies is as follows:



_Equifax_, PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374, www.equifax.com, 1-800-685-1111
_Experian_, PO Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013, www.experian.com, 1-888-397-3742
_TransUnion_, PO Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016, www.transunion.com, 1-800-916-8800


  If you believe you are the victim of identity theft or have reason to believe your personal information has been misused, you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission and/or the Attorney General’s office in your state. You can obtain information from these sources about steps an individual can take to avoid identity theft as well as information about fraud alerts and security freezes. You should also contact your local law enforcement authorities and file a police report. Obtain a copy of the police report in case you are asked to provide copies to creditors to correct your records. Contact information for the Federal Trade Commission is as follows:



_Federal Trade Commission_, Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20580, 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338), www.ftc.gov/idtheft


*If you are a resident of Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, or Rhode Island*, you may contact and obtain information from your state attorney general at:



_Connecticut Attorney General's Office_, 55 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106, www.ct.gov/ag, 1-860-808-5318

_Maryland Attorney General's Office_, 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore, MD 21202, www.oag.state.md.us, 1-888-743-0023 or 1-410-576-6300

_Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General_, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108, www.mass.gov/ago/contact-us.html, 1-617-727-8400

_North Carolina Attorney General's Office_, 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699, www.ncdoj.gov, 1-919-716-6400 or 1-877-566-7226

_Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office_, 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903, www.riag.ri.gov, 1-401-274-4400



*If you are a resident of Massachusetts or Rhode Island*, note that pursuant to Massachusetts or Rhode Island law, you have the right to file and obtain a copy of a police report. You also have the right to request a security freeze.


*If you are a resident of West Virginia*, you have the right to ask that nationwide consumer reporting agencies place “fraud alerts” in your file to let potential creditors and others know that you may be a victim of identity theft, as described below. You also have a right to place a security freeze on your credit report, as described below.


*Fraud Alerts*: There are two types of fraud alerts you can place on your credit report to put your creditors on notice that you may be a victim of fraud—an initial alert and an extended alert. You may ask that an initial fraud alert be placed on your credit report if you suspect you have been, or are about to be, a victim of identity theft. An initial fraud alert stays on your credit report for at least 90 days. You may have an extended alert placed on your credit report if you have already been a victim of identity theft with the appropriate documentary proof. An extended fraud alert stays on your credit report for seven years. You can place a fraud alert on your credit report by contacting any of the three national credit reporting agencies.


*Credit Freezes*: You have the right to put a credit freeze, also known as a security freeze, on your credit file, free of charge, so that no new credit can be opened in your name without the use of a PIN number that is issued to you when you initiate a freeze. A security freeze is designed to prevent potential credit grantors from accessing your credit report without your consent. If you place a security freeze, potential creditors and other third parties will not be able to get access to your credit report unless you temporarily lift the freeze. Therefore, using a security freeze may delay your ability to obtain credit.

There is no fee to place or lift a security freeze. Unlike a fraud alert, you must separately place a security freeze on your credit file at each credit reporting company. For information and instructions to place a security freeze, contact each of the credit reporting agencies at the addresses below:



*Experian Security Freeze*, PO Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013, www.experian.com
*TransUnion Security Freeze*, PO Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016, www.transunion.com
*Equifax Security Freeze*, PO Box 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348, www.equifax.com


  To request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:



1. Your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.)
2. Social Security number
3. Date of birth
4. If you have moved in the past five years, provide the addresses where you have lived over the prior five years
5. Proof of current address such as a current utility bill or telephone bill
6. A legible photocopy of a government issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, military identification, etc.)
7. If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft


  The credit reporting agencies have one business day after receiving your request by toll-free telephone or secure electronic means, or three business days after receiving your request by mail, to place a security freeze on your credit report. The credit bureaus must also send written confirmation to you within five business days and provide you with a unique personal identification number ("PIN") or password or both that can be used by you to authorize the removal or lifting of the security freeze.

To lift the security freeze in order to allow a specific entity or individual access to your credit report, or to lift a security freeze for a specified period of time, you must submit a request through a toll-free telephone number, a secure electronic means maintained by a credit reporting agency, or by sending a written request via regular, certified, or overnight mail to the credit reporting agencies and include proper identification (name, address, and Social Security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze as well as the identity of those entities or individuals you would like to receive your credit report or the specific period of time you want the credit report available. The credit reporting agencies have one business day after receiving your request by toll-free telephone or secure electronic means, or three business days after receiving your request by mail, to lift the security freeze for those identified entities or for the specified period of time.

To remove the security freeze, you must submit a request through a toll-free telephone number, a secure electronic means maintained by a credit reporting agency, or by sending a written request via regular, certified, or overnight mail to each of the three credit bureaus and include proper identification (name, address, and Social Security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze. The credit bureaus have one business day after receiving your request by toll-free telephone or secure electronic means, or three business days after receiving your request by mail, to remove the security freeze.


*Fair Credit Reporting Act*: You also have rights under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, which promotes the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the files of consumer reporting agencies. The FTC has published a list of the primary rights created by the FCRA (https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf), and that article refers individuals seeking more information to visit www.ftc.gov/credit. The FTC’s list of FCRA rights includes:



• You have the right to receive a copy of your credit report. The copy of your report must contain all the information in your file at the time of your request.
• Each of the nationwide credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – is required to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months.
• You are also entitled to a free report if a company takes adverse action against you, like denying your application for credit, insurance, or employment, and you ask for your report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action. The notice will give you the name, address, and phone number of the credit reporting company. You are also entitled to one free report a year if you’re unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days; if you are on welfare; or if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, including identity theft.
• You have the right to ask for a credit score.
• You have the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information.
• Consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information.
• Consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information.
• Access to your file is limited. You must give your consent for reports to be provided to employers.
• You may limit "prescreened" offers of credit and insurance you receive based on information in your credit report.
• You may seek damages from violators.
• Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have additional rights.


*If You Are A European Union Data Subject,* you may contact or obtain information from your Data Protection Authority at:



_Austria_: Österreichische Datenschutzbehörde, Wickenburggasse 8, 1080 Vienna, +43 1 52 152 0, Email: dsb@dsb.gv.at

_Belgium_: De Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit (GBA), Rue de la Presse 35, 1000 Brussels, +32 (0)2 274 48 00, Email: contact@apd-gba.be

_Bulgaria_: Commission for Personal Data Protection (CPDP), 2 Prof. Tsvetan Lazarov Blvd., Sofia 1592, +359 899 877 156, Email: kzld@cpdp.bg

_Croatia_: Croatian Personal Data Protection Agency (AZOP), Fra Grge Martića 14, HR-10 000 Zagreb, +385 (0)1 4609-000, Email: azop@azop.hr

_Cyprus_: Office of the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection, Iasonos 1, 1082 Nicosia (office address), P.O. Box 23378, 1682 Nicosia, Cyprus (postal address), +357 22818456, Email: commissioner@dataprotection.gov.cy

_Czechia (Czech Republic)_: The Office for Personal Data Protection, Pplk. Sochora 27, 170 00 Praha 7, +420 234 665 111, Email: posta@uoou.cz

_Denmark_: Datatilsynet, Borgergade 28, 5, 1300 København, +45 33 19 32 00 (Monday – Thursday 9:00am to 12:00pm and 12:30 to 3:30pm, Friday 9:30am to 12:00pm), Email: dt@datatilsynet.dk

_Estonia_: Andmekaitse Inspektsioon, 19 Väike-Ameerika St., 10129 Tallinn, +372 627 4135, Email: info@aki.ee

_Finland_: Tietosuojavaltuutetun toimisto, Ratapihantie 9, 6th Floor, 00520, Helsinki (office address), P.O. Box 800, 00521 Helsinki (postal address), +358 29 566 6700, Email (registry): tietosuoja@om.fi

_France_: Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés (CNIL), 3 Place de Fontenoy TSA 80715, 75334 PARIS CEDEX 07, +33 01 53 73 22 22 (Monday to Thursday 9:00am to 6:30pm, Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm)

_Germany_: Die Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (BfDI), Husarenstr. 30 - 53117 Bonn, +49 (0)228-997799-0, Email: poststelle@bfdi.bund.de. (You may also contact the Data Protection Agency in your Bundesland.)

_Greece_: Data Protection Authority Offices, Kifissias 1-3, 115 23 Athens, +30-210 6475600, Email: contact@dpa.gr

_Hungary_: Nemzeti Adatvédelmi és Információszabadság Hatóság, H-1125 Budapest, Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor 22/C, +36 1 391 1400, Email: privacy@naih.hu

_Ireland_: Data Protection Commission (Comisiún Cosanta Sonraí), Canal House, Station Road, Portarlington, R32 AP23 Co. Laois, +353 57 868 4800, +353 (0761) 104 800, Email: info@dataprotection.ie

_Italy_: Garante per la protezione dei dati personali, Piazza Venezia 11 – 00187 Roma, +39 06 6967 71, +39 06 6967 72917, Email: urp@gpdp.it

_Latvia_: Data State Inspectorate, Blaumana Street 11 / 13–11, Riga, LV–1011, +371 67 22 31 31 (1:00 to 3:00pm), Email: info@dvi.gov.lv

_Lithuania_: Valstybinė duomenų apsaugos inspekcija, A. Juozapavičiaus g. 6, 09310 Vilnius 6, 09310 Vilnius, +370 (8 5) 271 2804, 279 1445, Email: paštas ada@ada.lt

_Luxembourg_: Commission Nationale Pour La Protection Des Données (CPND), 1, avenue du Rock’n’Roll, L-4361 Esch-sur-Alzette, +352 26 10 60 – 1

_Malta_: Office of the Information and Data Protection Commissioner (IDPC), Level 2, Airways House, High Street, Sliema SLM 1549, +356 2328 7100, Email: idpc.info@idpc.org.mt

_Netherlands_: Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, Postbus 93374, 2509 AJ DEN HAAG, +31 (0)70 888 85 00

_Poland_: Urząd Ochrony Danych Osobowych, ul. Stawki 2, 00-193 Warszawa, +48 22 531 03 00, Email: kancelaria@uodo.gov.pl

_Portugal_: Comissão Nacional de Protecção de Dados (CNPD), Av. D. Carlos I, 134 - 1.º, 1200-651 Lisboa, +351 21 392 84 00, Email: geral@cnpd.pt

_Romania_: Autoritatea Naţională de Supraveghere a Prelucrării Datelor cu Caracter Personal (ANSPDCP), 28-30 G-ral Gheorghe Magheru Bld., District 1, post code 010336, Bucharest, +40 318 059 211, Email: presa@dataprotection.ro, anspdcp@dataprotection.ro

_Slovakia_: Úrad na ochranu osobných údajov, Hraničná 12, 820 07, Bratislava 27, +421 2 32313214, Email: statny.dozor@pdp.gov.sk

_Slovenia_: Informacijski pooblaščenec, Dunajska cesta 22, SI-1000 Ljubljana, +386 1 230 97 30, Email: gp.ip@ip-rs.si

_Spain_: Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD), Jorge Juan, 6, 28001 Madrid, +34 913 996 207, Email: contratacion@agpd.es

_Sweden_: Datainspektionen, Box 8114, 104 20 Stockholm, +46 08 657 61 00 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 9:00 to 11:00am; Wednesday: 9:30 to 11:30am), Email: datainspektionen@datainspektionen.se

_United Kingdom_: Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, +44 0303 123 1113, +44 01625 545 745, Email: dataprotectionfee@ico.org.uk








TERMS & CONDITIONS OF THE SPG PROGRAM TERMS OF USE PRIVACY POLICY

©2018 Marriott International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Starpoints, SPG, Preferred Guest, Sheraton, Westin, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Le Méridien, Tribute Portfolio, Element, Aloft, Four Points and their respective logos are the trademarks of Marriott International, Inc., or its affiliates. Design Hotels is a trademark of Design Hotels.


----------



## clifffaith (Dec 9, 2018)

We stayed at a Courtyard in Detroit this April when we attended my cousin's wedding (her parents and one sister didn't attend, on advice from their priest, because my non-churchgoing 58 year old previously widowed cousin wasn't getting married in the Catholic Church. Still a sore point as you can see!). We've been wondering if we'd get some sort of notification, but so far nothing.


----------



## mdurette (Dec 9, 2018)

clifffaith said:


> We stayed at a Courtyard in Detroit this April



I thought it was the Starwood system that was hacked (going back to 2014).  I'm thinking Courtyard and Fairfield were not impacted. I could be wrong.


----------



## griffer1278 (Dec 9, 2018)

mpumilia said:


> We do not own Marriott. Last year we did stay at a Marriot Fairfield Inn over the XMAS holiday, but that's about it. The top of this letter said it was from Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
> 
> 
> Marriott values our guests and understands the importance of protecting your personal information. We have taken measures to investigate and address a data security incident involving the Starwood guest reservation database. The investigation has determined that there was unauthorized access to the database, which contained guest information relating to reservations at Starwood properties* on or before September 10, 2018. This notice explains what happened, measures we have taken, and some steps you can take in response.
> ...


I received the same email even though to my knowledge I don't have a Starwood account.


----------



## mdurette (Dec 10, 2018)

TXTortoise said:


> Probably a good time to remind folks about this...
> 
> https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs




Also a good time to remind people not to click on links in email.   With all the people affected by this, I'm sure the phishing scammers are already making up fake emails that look like they are from Marriott with fake links to credit monitoring services just looking for you to put in all your personal info to sign up for the free service for a year.    Always go the source for the link - not the email.


----------



## WinniWoman (Dec 10, 2018)

mdurette said:


> Also a good time to remind people not to click on links in email.   With all the people affected by this, I'm sure the phishing scammers are already making up fake emails that look like they are from Marriott with fake links to credit monitoring services just looking for you to put in all your personal info to sign up for the free service for a year.    Always go the source for the link - not the email.




Right. I did nothing with this as I was also concerned about it being fake. I figure it has been a year since we stayed at a F airfield Inn- the only time we did- so I am not going to do anything.


----------



## gritmuncher (Dec 10, 2018)

I received the long email today as well but nowhere could I find how to sign up for WebWatcher. Did I miss something?


----------



## gritmuncher (Dec 10, 2018)

The email is also posted here: https://answers.kroll.com/


----------



## dsmrp (Dec 11, 2018)

Here's another news article about  foreign state possible involvement in data breach.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna945296


----------



## TravelTime (Dec 11, 2018)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/tech...ing-million-travelers/?utm_term=.c9c27578985a

U.S. government investigators increasingly believe that Chinese state hackers were most likely responsible for the massive intrusion reported last month into Marriott’s Starwood chain hotel reservation system, a breach that exposed the private information and travel details of as many as 500 million people, according to two people briefed on the government investigation.

These people cautioned that the investigation has not been completed, so definitive conclusions cannot be drawn. But the sweep and tactics of the hack, which took place over four years before being discovered, prompted immediate speculation that it was carried out by a national government.

————————————-

The breach of the reservation system for Marriott’s Starwood subsidiaries was one of the largest in history, affecting travelers at the hotel chains St. Regis, Westin, Sheraton, Aloft, Le Meridien, Four Points and W from 2014 onward, according to a Marriott news release last month.

Marriott acquired Starwood in 2016 and kept the reservation databases separate from its own until recently. The reservation system of Marriott hotels themselves was not affected by the breach. The Bethesda, Md.-based company has more than 6,700 properties around the world.


----------



## brianfox (Dec 12, 2018)

Chinese hackers?

Color me shocked...


----------



## CanuckTravlr (Dec 12, 2018)

I have been an SPG member for 15 years and received the email from Marriott this week.  The annoying thing is that they give instructions for US residents and a whole list of countries in Europe, but not a mention of what to do as a Canadian resident.  You can rest assured that they will be getting a less-than-polite comment from me.

I had changed my password a while back when merging my Marriott and SPG accounts, but have now changed it again to be cautious.  My Amex card was registered on my SPG account.  Interestingly enough it was compromised in April 2017, shortly after we had spent two weeks in Hawaii.  It was caught by Amex and no harm done and a new card was issued.  I had always suspected it was compromised at a gas station on the Big Island, but now suspect it may be as a result of this hack.

They have now launched a class-action suit here in Canada and I will be looking into whether to join it.  Unbelievably sloppy on the part of Starwood that it has gone on potentially as long as four years without prior detection!!

*Updated Dec. 13, 2018:*

Well, I must have not been the only one to complain.  Just got another email from Marriott which this time includes instructions for not only Canadian residents, but also for residents of a bunch of other countries not previously listed, such as Australia and New Zealand.


----------



## Safti (Dec 13, 2018)

Can you provide any information on the Canadian class action suit? I didn't receive anything. Also got a bogus email from SPG this morning.


----------



## pedro47 (Dec 13, 2018)

Is their a Marriott hotel in China?


----------



## Fasttr (Dec 13, 2018)

Safti said:


> Can you provide any information on the Canadian class action suit? I didn't receive anything. Also got a bogus email from SPG this morning.



https://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php...action-lawsuits-following-data-breach.283072/


----------



## billymach4 (Dec 13, 2018)

I do believe there are Marriott in China


----------



## bazzap (Dec 13, 2018)

Just the 325 Marriott hotels in China haha.


----------

