Possible credit card data theft in high profile hotel breach

Plenty of retailers and others whose business is based on credit card transactions have suffered security breaches. But hackers don”t discriminate, so they are going after social media networks, popular fast food chains and hotels to steal data that could end up for sale on the dark web.

The payment systems of 20 high-profile hotels in 10 US states and the DC area were compromised, resulting in possible theft of customers” credit card information, HEI Hotels & Resorts announced. An independent forensic investigation, found the payments systems had been infected with malware from March 2015.

“We were recently alerted to a possible security incident potentially affecting certain HEI properties,” their website reads. “Based on an independent forensic investigation, we believe that individuals were able to gain unauthorized access to certain HEI computers and may have been able to access some payment card data as it was being entered into our systems.”

Information such as names, verification codes and other card information may have been stolen from cards used at point-of-sale terminals, but customers are assured the systems have been wiped clean and the threat removed. In spite of this, those present at any of the hacked properties are advised to double-check their bank information to make sure no illegal transactions have been made in their name in the past year.