Marriott Hotel Data Breach (2018)

neme:xavier

Who Were the Hackers?

The attackers are suspected to be state-sponsored Chinese cyber spies. While no specific individuals were identified, they are believed to be linked to the Chinese government, possibly associated with the Ministry of State Security (MSS). Their goal appeared to be data collection for espionage rather than financial gain.

What Happened?

Hackers infiltrated the Starwood Hotels database (part of Marriott) from 2014 to 2018, stealing personal information of approximately 500 million guests.

When and Where Did the Attack Occur?

Start: Believed to have begun in 2014. Discovery: Marriott detected the breach in September 2018. Official Announcement: November 30, 2018.

Why Did They Do It?

The hackers aimed to gather personal information on high-ranking officials, business executives, and frequent travelers for: Political and economic espionage: Identifying and tracking key individuals. Future cyberattacks: Using stolen data for further breaches. Identity theft: Gaining unauthorized access to other organizations.

How Was the Attack Carried Out?

The attackers used advanced techniques to infiltrate Starwood Hotels' network: Exploited system vulnerabilities. Installed malware to create backdoors. Possibly used phishing techniques to obtain login credentials. These methods allowed them to maintain persistent, undetected access for years.