Loyalty Programs: Hot Target for Cyber Criminals
Loyalty Programs: Hot Target for Cyber Criminals Cyber criminals are continually looking for new targets. In recent years, loyalty programs have become the hot target for cyber attackers. One of the least highlighted aspects of recent data breaches is how loyalty programs compromised organizations’ network security. In late November, this year, Marriottdisclosed that out of the 500 million guests affected by a 4-year long data breach, account information of 327 million guests relating to the company’s Starwood Preferred Guest (“SPG”) had been accessed by an unauthorized party. SPG is the loyalty program of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide – the hotel chain acquired by Marriott in September 2016. Early this year, Marriott completed the integration of the two companies’ loyalty programs. It’s too early to tell what would become of…