More and more, hackers are targeting the hospitality industry to acquire sensitive data. Since 2010, more than a dozen data breaches have been reported on hotels, affecting both major corporate hotel chains as well as mom-and-pop proprietors. A recent report found that 31% of hospitality organizations have reported a data breach, and of those, 89% have been hit more than once.
Data accessed during a breach can include guest records, account holders, passwords, full names, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, and dates of birth. Some data could also include guest receipts with the last four digits of credit card numbers. Recent breaches might have accessed driver’s licenses and passports.
While these breaches aren’t the direct fault of the hotel or motel , they can cause real damage to one’s financial and personal well-being. I’ve introduced legislation (S.4034) that would require an individual’s personal identification documents to be permanently disposed of, both electronically and physically, within 24 hours of a stay at a hotel, resort, camp, or any other lodging.
Protecting New Yorkers–in our communities and online–is my priority. No one wants to return from vacation to find themselves a victim of identity theft.
