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Hyatt Hotels chain hit with credit card stealing malware

Published Dec 25th, 2015 2:53PM EST

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Hyatt Hotels is the latest company to have been hit by hackers, who managed to breach its network, access the payment processing system and possibly steal payment-card information belonging to visitors.

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The hack was discovered three weeks ago, Reuters reports, making it the latest event in a series of breaches at hospitality firms. According to company spokeswoman Stephanie Sheppard, the attack was discovered on November 30th. But she did not reveal any details about its scope.

It’s not clear at this time how many customers have been affected by the hack, how long the network was infected, or how many of the chain’s 627 hotels were affected. The company did not even disclose the kind of malware that was used against its network. The company did say that the malware was programmed to collect payment information, including card numbers, expiration dates and verification codes.

“Customers should review their payment-card account statements closely and report any unauthorized charges to their card issuer immediately,” Sheppard said.

She continued, “We have taken steps to strengthen the security of our systems. Customers can feel confident using payment cards at Hyatt hotels worldwide.” The company posted up a mini-site where customers can read more details about the attack – check out this link.

Reuters further reports that Cyber intelligence firm iSight Partners warned various merchants in late November including hospitality companies, about ModPOS, a new kind of malware that’s apparently capable stealing payment information while escaping detection from almost all security software.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.