Booking.com suffers data breach, hackers access guest booking information
What's the story
Booking.com, a leading accommodation reservation platform, has suffered a major data breach. The company recently revealed that "unauthorized third parties being able to access some of our guests' booking information." Upon discovering the suspicious activity, Booking.com acted quickly to contain the issue by updating reservation PINs and informing affected guests. However, the company did not disclose how many people were impacted by this security incident.
Security assurance
Hackers may have accessed names, emails, phone numbers
An email from Booking.com to affected customers confirmed that the hackers may have accessed "certain booking information" linked to a customer's previous reservation. This could include details such as booking specifics, names, emails, addresses, and phone numbers associated with the booking. However, they assured customers that their financial information was not compromised in this incident.
Past incidents
Booking.com has been target of cybercriminals for years
The recent data breach isn't the first cybercrime attempt against Booking.com. The company has been battling a surge of online scams on its platform, with fraudsters seeking payment details for pre-authorization or verification before trips and then charging exorbitant amounts. In 2018, hackers used phishing tactics to steal login details from hotel employees in the UAE and accessed booking data of over 4,000 people on the platform.
Regulatory action
Booking.com fined for late reporting of data breach
Notably, Booking.com reported the recent breach to the Dutch privacy regulator 22 days late. This delay resulted in a fine of €475,000 for the company. The incident highlights not only the security challenges faced by online platforms but also their responsibilities toward a timely reporting and transparency in such cases.