Marriott Hacking Exposes Data of Up to 500 Million Guests
The hotel chain asked guests checking in for a treasure trove of personal information: credit cards, addresses and sometimes passport numbers. On Friday, consumers learned the risk. Marriott International revealed that hackers had breached its Starwood reservation system and had stolen the personal data of up to 500 million guests.
The assault started as far back as 2014, and was one of the largest known thefts of personal records, second only to a 2013 breach of Yahoo that affected three billion user accounts and larger than a 2017 episode involving the credit bureau Equifax.
The intrusion was a reminder that after years of headline-grabbing attacks, the computer networks of big companies are still vulnerable.
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Survey Reveals Lack of Wi-Fi Security Concern from Airline Passengers
A new survey revealed travelers are not as concerned as they should be regarding potential security issues when using Wi-Fi at an airport or while on a plane.
According to the recent survey by The GO Group, LLC, almost 25 percent of airline passengers said they are “not at all concerned” about Wi-Fi security, while another 48 percent admitted the concerns had them somewhat distressed.
Nine percent of respondents confessed they never thought about their security while online at airports or on their flights, but 19 percent said they were very concerned about potential breaches.
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U.S. Airlines, Airports Exploring Use of Self Bag Drop
Tougher security regulations in the U.S. than in other parts of the world have mostly prevented the deployment of unassisted self bag-drop machines in the country's airports. But though those regulations remain in place, U.S. airports and airlines are now increasingly exploring self bag-drop technologies and preparing for the possibility of a rollout.
"We want the most efficient throughput that we can have," said Stu Williams, senior vice president for special projects at Denver Airport, which in September ordered 176 machines from the German vendor Materna that are capable of self bag drop.
The order, which to date is the largest of its kind in the world, means that by 2020 every bag-drop location at the airport will be equipped with self-check capability.
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