AG launches probe into Marriott data breach

The Marriott says its guest reservation system has been hacked, potentially exposing the personal information of approximately 500m guests. The hotel chain said the hack affects its Starwood reservation database, a group of hotels it bought in 2016 that includes the St. Regis, Westin, Sheraton and W Hotels. CNN reports that the company said hackers had gained ‘unauthorised access’ to the Starwood reservation system since 2014, but the company only identified the issue late last month. ‘We fell short of what our guests deserve and what we expect of ourselves. We are doing everything we can to support our guests, and using lessons learned to be better moving forward,’ said CEO Arne Sorenson. The hotel chain said it has reported the hack to law enforcement and it would begin e-mailing guests affected by the breach. Legalbrief reports that New York’s Attorney-General has launched an investigation into the breach. Barbara Underwood said residents needed to know that their personal information was safe.