Hackers Infiltrate Best Western Europe and Sell Guest Info to Russian Mafia
August 25, 2008 at 11:00 AM |
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In a truly bizarre turn for the hotel industry, the European Best Western reservations database was hacked last week. Information on former and future guests for the last year was stolen, including names, addresses, phone numbers, credit card information, and even places of employment. Ack!
The Jason Bourne-like heist involved a hack using an employee account login which siphoned the data. The data was then sold on a underground website operated by the Russian mafia.
Some are saying it's the greatest cyber-heist in world history which could affect up to 8 million people in several different ways.
The stolen information can lead to credit card fraud, identity theft, and--perhaps the most intriguing--burglary. Since future bookings were included, it is speculated that these dates paired with the traveler's home address will be sold to robbers.
"They've pulled off a masterstroke here," security expert Jacques Erasmus told The Scotland Herald, an ex-hacker who now works for the computer security firm Prevx.
Best Western hasn't released information on which records or which hotels were specifically affected, so contact your local customer service team for more information. Best Westerns in North America were unaffected.
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