Booking.com Data Breach Exposes Customer Information
The accommodation reservation platform Booking.com has experienced a data breach in which "unauthorised parties" accessed customer information. The company reported detecting suspicious activity involving third parties gaining access to some guests' booking details.
"Upon discovering the activity, we took action to contain the issue,"
Booking.com stated.
"We have updated the pin number for these reservations and informed our guests."
Based in Amsterdam, Booking.com offers listings for over 30 million accommodation venues worldwide and connects millions of travelers with experiences, transportation, and lodging options.
The company has not disclosed the number of customers affected by the breach. A spokesperson confirmed that no financial information was accessed during the incident.
Customers impacted by the breach received an email from Booking.com indicating that hackers may have accessed "certain booking information" related to previous reservations. The company explained the scope of potentially compromised data:
"Based on the findings of our investigation to date, accessed information could include booking details and names, emails, addresses, phone numbers associated with the booking and anything that you may have shared with the accommodation,"
Booking.com has faced multiple cybercrime challenges recently. Fraudsters have attempted to obtain payment details under the guise of pre-authorizing or verifying payments before trips, often charging excessive amounts.
In 2018, attackers employed phishing techniques to steal login credentials from hotel employees in the United Arab Emirates. This breach allowed them to access booking data for more than 4,000 individuals on the platform.
The company reported the current breach to the Dutch privacy regulator 22 days after discovery, resulting in a €475,000 fine.
The broader travel industry is also under pressure to address the growing issue of fake listings on booking websites.
Booking.com is a subsidiary of Booking Holdings, a US-based corporation valued at $137 billion. Booking Holdings also owns OpenTable, Agoda, and Kayak. The group is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, and employs over 24,000 people globally.
