14 DAY TRIAL // Three separate inside sources have confirmed to security blogger Brian Krebs that the Trump Hotel Collection has suffered its second card breach in the past twelve months.
Sources inside the banking sector are saying that they've observed a series of fraudulent transactions which led back to people that had stayed at Mr. Trump's properties.
Same hotels affected as before
The affected hotels are Trump International Hotel New York, Trump Hotel Waikiki in Honolulu, and the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Toronto.
These are the same hotels which were also part of the first card breach incident exposed last July, and later confirmed in September.
Trump Hotel Collection representatives said the first card breach incident took place because of a malware infection. Malware infection have also been at the source of other card breach incidents at other hotel chains such as Hyatt Hotels, Hilton Worldwide and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
Most hotel chains use antiquated IT security solutions
"Hospitality organizations are ideal targets for the cybercriminal today because they handle highly valuable personal and financial information—the proverbial goldmine for the cyberthief. Large, well-known chains are even more susceptible targets due to the sheer volume of data that they store and share," said Zach Forsyth, a director of technology innovation at global cybersecurity leader Comodo.
"Unfortunately, many of these companies have antiquated IT security technology in place, which is an easy workaround for the hackers," Mr. Forsyth also told Softpedia. "It’s a harsh reality that the technology some organizations use today is as effective as installing a home security system that alerts you to a break-in after the robbers have already stolen everything, vandalized the house and left. By then, it’s too late."
"The focus for IT departments needs to be on protection, not detection, and installing modern secure Web gateways and advanced endpoint protection solutions that can stop malware and cyberattacks from compromising data and negatively impacting their businesses and customers," Mr. Forsyth also explained.