Marriott International, the parent company of renowned hotel brands including Marriott, St. Regis, and The Ritz-Carlton, has reported a significant security breach affecting customer data. This incident marks the second major breach in three years for the hotel conglomerate and raises serious concerns about its cybersecurity measures.
On March 31, Marriott disclosed that an unauthorized party potentially accessed the personal data of approximately 5.2 million customers between mid-January and February’s end. The intrusion reportedly exploited the login credentials of two employees at one of Marriott’s franchised properties. According to the company, they identified unusual activity that indicated the potential compromise of guest information at the end of February.
In their public statement, Marriott emphasized that hotels operating under its brand utilize an application designed to enhance guest services. However, this application was presumably targeted, allowing for the access of personal data without proper authorization. The credentials purportedly used in the breach have since been disabled, and Marriott has initiated an investigation to determine the full extent of the exposure.
As the investigation continues, Marriott has clarified that there is currently no evidence that the breached data included sensitive information such as Marriott Bonvoy account passwords or payment card details. However, the stolen data may have contained a range of information including names, contact details, loyalty account information, and other personal identifiers like gender and birthdates. These factors highlight a possible misuse of the data that could lead to identity theft or targeted phishing attacks.
The affected customers have been notified and advised to change their passwords as a precautionary measure. Additionally, Marriott has created a dedicated portal for customers to verify if their information has been compromised. Marriott is also offering enrollment in IdentityWorks, a personal information monitoring service, free of charge for a year to individuals whose data may have been impacted.
This incident adds to Marriott’s troubling history regarding cybersecurity, notably marked by a significant breach disclosed in 2018, which compromised the data of up to half a billion guests. Given the sensitivity and volume of data involved, the recent breach reinforces the necessity for robust cybersecurity frameworks and practices within large organizations, particularly those handling extensive consumer data.
In interpreting the methods that may have facilitated this breach, the MITRE ATT&CK framework offers insight into potential adversary tactics. The initial access could have been achieved through stolen credentials, a common vector for cyber attacks that allows adversaries to bypass defensive measures. Persistent access likely relied on maintaining control over the exploited accounts, while further privilege escalation tactics could have been employed to gain deeper access to sensitive data.
As businesses continue to face the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats, the Marriott breach serves as a critical reminder of the importance of stringent security protocols and regular monitoring activities. With cyber adversaries constantly developing new techniques, organizations must prioritize securing their infrastructure to protect sensitive customer data against similar threats in the future.
