Month: November 2018

What You Need To Know About Marriott’s Starwood Breach

Post author By Christopherson Business Travel
Post date November 30, 2018

marriott-starwood-breach-business-travel

Marriott announced Friday that their reservation database for Starwood hotels has been breached by hackers, leaving almost 500 million user’s personal information exposed. Learn what happened in Marriott’s Starwood breach, how to determine if your information has been compromised and other important next steps.

The Marriott’s Starwood data breach

Hackers illegally accessed Marriott’s Starwood Hotels reservation database. Marriott purchased the Starwood hotel brand in 2016, though it appears this breach has been taking place since 2014. Only Starwood brand information has been compromised.
An internal security tool detected the breach on September 8. Upon further investigation, they discovered the length of time the attack has taken place.
Starwood hotels include : Westin, Sheraton, The Luxury Collection, Four Points by Sheraton, W, St. Regis, Le Meridien, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels, Four Points, Aloft, Element.
It is the second biggest corporate data breach in history. The first involving Yahoo last year, with over 3 billion accounts being compromised.

What information has been exposed

For 327 million people, the information breached includes names, phone numbers, email addresses, passport numbers and date of birth. It also includes trip arrival and departure information.
For some, credit card information and card expiration dates were compromised. There was encryption on this information, though Marriott is unsure if that encryption could have been breached as well.
This leaves an estimated 500 million people vulnerable to having their identities stolen. It can then later be used to open bank accounts, credit cards and even loans in their name.

What to do if you think you might be a victim

Visit Marriott’s website about the breach. Contact them directly through the call center listed on the site or read additional information about the breach.
Keep an eye on your email. Marriott has begun sending out notification emails to those that have been compromised. These roll-out emails begin Friday, November 30.
Marriott will provide guests with free WebWatcher enrollment. Free of charge for one year, it will monitor if your personal information is being used online without your permission.

Additional ways to protect yourself

If you’re concerned that you may be a victim, or just freaked out in general, here are a few actionable items you can start doing today:

Start changing your password on your Marriott Starwood accounts regularly. This is the first line of defense to keeping hackers out. Make sure your new password has at least 12 characters, tricky to guess, and doesn’t include any information that can be gleaned from your online profiles, like your birthday or home address.
Monitor your accounts for suspicious activity. Keep an eye on your Starwood Preferred Guest account for any suspicious activity. Also check your bank, retirement, brokerage accounts, and credit card statements for anything unusual.
Freeze your credit. Keep anyone from taking out credit cards or loans in your name by freezing all credit.
Open a separate credit card for online transactions only. Make it easier to track transactions and spot fraudulent activity by using one dedicated credit card for online transactions. If compromised, you won’t have to change additional bills or utilities billing information, reducing additional stress and headache.
Be aware of anything fishy in the future. It’s not new that we should be vigilant with our actions online or on the phone. ‘Phishing’ schemes usually include people trying to access additional information from you or your computer with bogus emails, fake links, and fraudulent websites. Marriott has said they will not call or email you asking for your profile or password information. Do not provide this information if requested online or on the phone, as they are likely trying to steal additional personal information.

Tags hacking, Marriott, phishing, Starwood Hotels

Business Travel Choice Humanitarian

CHOICE Expedition – Michelle’s Story

Post author By Christopherson Business Travel
Post date November 12, 2018

Christopherson Business Travel is a proud corporate sponsor of CHOICE Humanitarian. In addition to voluntary employee contributions and matching program, Christopherson sends a group of employees on a week-long humanitarian expedition each year. CHOICE Humanitarian works in seven countries to help those in extreme poverty. Last July, our group employees visited a small village of Piura in Peru. Michelle Vaughn, an accountant from our Alabama office was selected to volunteer on this trip.

Michelle’s story

Ah, Peru–what an incredible experience! One thing that amazed me the most was how welcoming and thankful everybody was–from the littlest kids to the oldest elder, they all were so sweet and happy to see us, especially the moms in the village. Our expedition team project was to help build the village’s preschool. You could tell it meant so much to those mothers to finally have a safe and happy place for their little ones to go to school. A few of the ladies told us they have been trying to get this school built for twenty years. I could not believe this! How many preschools and “Mother Day Out” programs do we have to choose from? Yet in Peru, it took this community more than 20 years to get one building for their children. Before the school was built, they just had one small room that was shared as a community center.

Throughout the week I was reminded constantly of how much we take for granted. We wake up in the morning, use the bathroom and flush the toilet; we brush our teeth and don’t think once about where the water is coming from or where it is going. In Peru it was a three-hour process just to get water for us to flush the toilet. Like this process of gathering and using water, everything in the village was rudimentary and manual. I was very aware of just how much we rely on power tools and machines back home to do the work for us. Here, they were lucky to have a hacksaw and shovel.

But of course, even though the Santa Elana community was poor in so many monetary ways, they were rich in ways we Americans often forget. The villagers we worked with have such a strong sense of family and community. Everybody there helps everybody and relies on each other for their everyday needs. They were also some of the happiest people I’ve ever met in my life. It didn’t matter to them that they didn’t have newest games, nicest car, or biggest house. They were happy with what they had. We could all learn something from them.

It was a very eye-opening experience and I am forever grateful to Christopherson and CHOICE for the opportunity.

Read our employee’s experiences from past humanitarian trips:

Tags CHOICE Humanitarian, peru

Business Travel Travel News Travel Tips

How Business Travelers Can Spot Human Trafficking In Airports

Post author By Christopherson Business Travel
Post date November 5, 2018

Human trafficking has over the years become a global and multi-million dollar enterprise. As one of the world’s fastest growing criminal industries, the trade and its signs are largely unspoken. For instance, did you know that according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), nearly 25 million people are currently living in modern day slavery? That’s roughly the population of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Phoenix combined. And while most people assume it’s an issue affecting only other countries, a surprisingly large portion exists within the United States. For example, 83% of people forced into prostitution in the U.S. are from the U.S.

So why is a business travel management blog discussing human trafficking? As with any global business, international and domestic travel is necessary and usually frequent. In fact, the United Nations’ Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that 60% of victims – that’s roughly 15 million people – are transported across international borders. This makes transportation hubs; like airports, bus stations, and train stations, actual hotbeds for human trafficking. It unfortunately also often the last time a victim is seen before being forced into the dark underbelly of human enslavement. Once the victim gets off the plane or bus, they tend to become almost impossible to trace and rescue.

This depressing and scary fact actually provides business travelers a unique advantage. As frequent travelers, they cross paths with virtually all walks of life on a business trip, and could become a huge proponent for stopping human trafficking. By being aware of the signs, and the correct outlets to report, this demographic may very well save lives. Signs of human trafficking are actually pretty easy to recognize. So easy in fact, that without being aware of the signs, they often go unnoticed. Paying attention to anything out of the ordinary, and knowing the actions to take if you suspect something could very easily save a life.

How to spot human trafficking in airports:

1. Person is not dressed appropriately for their travel destination. Trafficking victims are often wearing clothes that seem out of place. They may not be the correct sizes, appear disheveled, or unprepared for the destination. In fact, they may be carrying very little luggage or no luggage at all. Also, it is likely the people he/she is traveling with is more well dressed and appropriately for the destination.
2. May look malnourished, has bruises or other wounds, or ravenous appetite. In addition to their clothes, their overall appearance may be distressing.
3. Traveling with someone else or people who seem to hold all the control. A telltale sign is two or more people traveling together, but don’t seem to be related or even friends. The trafficker is likely more confident, even controlling. The suspected victim may be followed if they move about the cabin or the airport.
4. Can’t provide information on their location, destination, or flight information. Victims are often not told where they are, where they’re going, or even what might happen next. They may not even know the name of the person they are traveling with.
5. Communication seems scripted. If you talk to the person in question, their answers sound scripted or lacks consistency. Traffickers sometimes coach their victims to say certain things to avoid suspicion. Fear and intimidation are two ways traffickers hold their power. They may try to avoid any interaction and defer communication to the possible trafficker.
6. May have a tattoo with a bar code or male’s name.Many people have tattoos, so this tip is not always a sure sign. Traffickers or pimps often tattoo or brand their own names or the word ‘Daddy’ on their victims. Usually this is a sign to show dominance. Other indicating tattoos maybe dollar signs or cuss words.

What frequent business travelers should do if they suspect human trafficking:

First and foremost – do not be a hero. Do not interact with them directly or try to rescue the suspected victim. The safest way to help human trafficking victims is to report it to the correct channels and as much information as possible.
As a growing epidemic, most airline employees and flight attendants have gone through human trafficking detection training. Tell a flight attendant or security guard your suspicions and they will alert the authorities.
Only if you can do so safely, take a picture of the possible victim and trafficker.
Write down descriptions of the possible victim and trafficker. Note any significant tattoos, scars or body marks.
Report your concerns to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Keep the number in your phone so it can be easily accessed if needed – 1-888-373-7888.

If interested in learning more, read this great resource on how to help victims of human trafficking.