It’s a who’s who list of companies too..
Uber is one of the world’s most influential companies. British Airways is one of the world’s premier, largest global airlines. Cathay Pacific is one of Asia’s most recognized brands and Marriott has more hotel rooms than any other on the planet. What does this A-list of travel mega brands have in common? They’ve each done their part in contributing to more than 7% of the world having their data hacked…
Roughly 65% of the world population has access to mobile phones. Almost 35% lack modern standard drinking water. Yet somehow, almost 10% – ok it’s just over 7% – have managed to have their personal data compromised by the world’s very largest travel brands. Uber started it. The mega ride share brand was forced to admit it covered up a 2016 data breach which affected an estimated 57 million users. Much adieu was made this year when British Airways announced its own data breach, which topped out at just over 500,000 members. And then things went wild. Cathay Pacific quickly took the airline lead and ran with it, coughing up to a 9.4 million member data breach. Delta discretely suffered a breach this year as well, but refused to disclose the number of affected members.
Oh, Marriott…
But then we got Marriott. Unimpressed entirely with the accomplishments of the other collective travel brands, Marriott today has unveiled a data breach affecting up to 500 million people. This is said to potentially include credit card and passport data. Marriott’s truly impressive total brings more than 7% of the world into the fray. To put things into perspective – only an estimated one billion people actually travel each year, so this number greater than 500 million accounts for just around half the entire traveling population.
What You Can…
So what can you do? Well, it’s simple. Regularly monitor your credit card statements online for any suspicious activity. Be sure to regularly change passwords, or set strong passwords. Many websites let you know the last time you’ve logged in, so if this value appears irregular, be sure to make changes. It’s also imperative to monitor your credit, looking for any suspicious activity or changes. These are things you should be doing every day anyway, but are particularly important in these opaque times. For most people, data breaches are nothing more than creepy personal infringements, but for some, they can account for issues. Stay well on top of all things finance, personal information and look out for your points balances!
