Marriott Data Hack: 3 Ways to protect yourself

Ray Valladares • December 4, 2018

An investigation determined that there was unauthorized access to guest information.

Have you stayed at a Marriott's Starwood hotel? Well, I have some bad news for you if you haven't heard. Marriott's Starwood was hacked and they disclosed a massive data breach on November 30,2018. Believe it or not, the hotel chain said around 500 million guests who booked reservations at their properties could have had personal information like their birth dates, addresses and even passport numbers stolen.

Let's jump right into it, your personal data is once again in the hands of criminals. That being said, don't sit around doing nothing, take at least these three steps to protect yourself.

1. Change your passwords

First, I can't even believe they it's almost 2019 and so many people use the same password across multiple sites. Do yourself a favor and change your passwords now, including and especially on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Yahoo, Google, Bing, your mobile phone carrier, your ISP and Alexa.

Make sure your passwords are unique, hackers are smart they use automated scripts for logins across different sites.

2. Monitor your credit cards

Report all unauthorized charges immediately, regardless of the size. Take it a step further and contact your credit card company and ask about what extra measures can be added to your account to protect you and your family.

3. Don't Open suspicious emails

Scammers and hackers may have access to your email address because hotel chains rely on this information to create a personalized experience, including your significant others name, even the number of children you have, room service and more.

Need more answers?

Marriott hasas dedicated website and call center at info.starwoodhotels.com to answer questions you may have about this incident.

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