Notice of Data Security Incident with Sabre Hospitality Solutions' SynXis Central Reservations System (Third-Party Reservation Provider)

NEW YORK, July 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SBE ENT Holdings, LLC ("SBE") recently learned about a data security incident involving unauthorized access to certain of our guests' personal information through a third-party hotel reservations system provider, Sabre Hospitality Solutions ("Sabre"), that processes reservations for more than 36,000 hotels and other lodging establishments worldwide. 

The incident did not affect SBE's systems.

What Happened?

Sabre's SynXis central reservations system ("SynXis CRS") facilitates the booking of hotel reservations by guests worldwide through hotels, online travel agencies, and similar booking services.  Sabre notified SBE on or about June 6, 2017, that an unauthorized party gained access to Sabre-specific account credentials, which permitted unauthorized access to unencrypted payment card information and select reservation information for certain reservations processed and stored on the CRS, including reservations that guests made for stays at one or more of the hotels that SBE owns, manages, or licenses.

Sabre's investigation determined that the unauthorized party first obtained access to payment card and other reservation information on Sabre's systems on August 10, 2016, and that the last access to payment card information was on March 9, 2017.

What Information Was Involved?

According to Sabre, the unauthorized party was able to access payment card information for guest reservations, including cardholder name; card number; card expiration date; and, potentially, card security code.  The unauthorized party may have also, in some cases, accessed certain personal information associated with guest reservations, such as guest name, email, phone number, address, and other information.  According to Sabre, guest Social Security, passport, and driver's license numbers were not impacted.

What Sabre Is Doing.

Sabre engaged a leading cybersecurity firm to support its investigation, and took measures to stop the unauthorized access to the SynXis CRS.  Sabre also notified law enforcement and the major payment card brands about this incident.

What Affected Individuals Can Do.

Affected individuals should remain vigilant for incidents of fraud and identity theft by regularly reviewing account statements and monitoring credit reports for any unauthorized activity.  If there is any suspicious or unusual activity on accounts, affected individuals should report it immediately to their financial institutions, as major credit card companies have rules that restrict them from requiring payment for fraudulent charges that are timely reported.

For More Information

SBE is working closely with Sabre to ensure SBE-affected guests are timely notified about this incident and provided with information about steps they can take to protect themselves from identity theft or other misuse of their personal information.

Individuals with questions about this incident can call the dedicated toll-free call center at (800) 441-0305, Monday through Friday, 24-hours a day, except holidays, for more information.  For international callers outside the United States, please call +1-503-597-7713 (some charges may apply).

In addition, Sabre has published their own notice regarding this incident, along with steps individuals can take to protect themselves against identity theft, which you can view here: http://www.sabreconsumernotice.com/.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO HELP REDUCE IDENTITY THEFT

› PLACE A 90-DAY FRAUD ALERT ON YOUR CREDIT FILE

An initial 90 day fraud alert indicates to anyone requesting your credit file that you suspect you are a victim of fraud or identity theft. When you or someone else attempts to open a credit account in your name, increase the credit limit on an existing account, or obtain a new card on an existing account, the lender should take steps to verify that you have authorized the request. If the creditor cannot verify this, the request should not be satisfied. You may contact one of the credit reporting companies below for assistance.

› PLACE A SECURITY FREEZE ON YOUR CREDIT FILE

If you are very concerned about becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, a security freeze might be right for you. Placing a freeze on your credit report will prevent lenders and others from accessing your credit report in connection with a new credit application, which will prevent them from extending credit. A security freeze generally does not apply to circumstances in which you have an existing account relationship and a copy of your report is requested by your existing creditor or its agents or affiliates for certain types of account review, collection, fraud control or similar activities. With a security freeze in place, you will be required to take special steps when you wish to apply for any type of credit. Security freezes must be placed separately for each of the credit reporting companies, who may charge a fee to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a security freeze. Such fees may vary from state to state.

› ORDER YOUR FREE ANNUAL CREDIT REPORTS

Visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call (877) 322-8228.  Once you receive your credit reports, review them for discrepancies. Identify any accounts you did not open or inquiries from creditors that you did not authorize. Verify all information is correct. If you have questions or notice incorrect information, contact the credit reporting company.

› MANAGE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

Take steps such as: carrying only essential documents with you; being aware with whom you are sharing your personal information; and shredding receipts, statements, and other sensitive information.

› USE TOOLS FROM CREDIT PROVIDERS

We recommend you remain vigilant for instances of fraud and identity theft. Carefully review your credit reports and bank, credit card, and other account statements. Be proactive and create alerts on credit cards and bank accounts to notify you of activity. If you discover unauthorized or suspicious activity on your credit report or by any other means, file an identity theft report with your local police and contact a credit reporting company.

› OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IDENTITY THEFT AND WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF

You may obtain more information from the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") about steps you can take to avoid identity theft, including how to place a fraud alert or security freeze on your credit file. The FTC may be reached at:

Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20580
ID Theft hotline: (877) IDTHEFT (438-4338)
www.ftc.gov
www.identitytheft.gov

› RESIDENTS OF IOWA

Iowa residents are advised to report any suspected incidents of identity theft to the Attorney General or to local law enforcement. The Attorney General may be contacted at:

Iowa Office of the Attorney General
Hoover State Office Building
1305 E. Walnut Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
(888) 777-4590 (toll-free in Iowa)
(515)-281-5926
consumer@iowa.gov
www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov

› RESIDENTS OF MARYLAND

Maryland residents can obtain information from the Maryland Attorney General about steps they can take to avoid identity theft at:

Maryland Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
200 St. Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
(888) 743-0023 (toll-free in Maryland)
(410) 576-6300 
Consumer@oag.state.md.us
www.oag.state.md.us

› RESIDENTS OF MASSACHUSETTS

Under Massachusetts law, you have a right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this incident.  If you are the victim of identity theft, you also have the right to file a police report and obtain a copy of it.

Massachusetts law also allows consumers to place a security freeze on their credit reports.  A security freeze prohibits a credit reporting agency from releasing any information from a consumer's credit report without written authorization. However, please be aware that placing a security freeze on your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prevent the timely approval of any requests you make for new loans, credit mortgages, employment, housing, or other services.

If you have been a victim of identity theft, and you provide the credit reporting agency with a valid police report, that credit reporting agency cannot charge you to place, lift, or remove a security freeze.  In all other cases, a credit reporting agency may charge you up to $5.00 each to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a security freeze.

To place a security freeze on your credit report, you must send a written request to each of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies: Equifax (www.equifax.com); Experian (www.experian.com); and TransUnion (www.transunion.com) by regular, certified or overnight mail at the addresses below:

Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348

Experian Security Freeze
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion Security Freeze
Fraud Victim Assistance Department
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022-2000

In order to request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:

The credit reporting agencies have three (3) business days after receiving your request to place a security freeze on your credit report.  The credit bureaus must also send written confirmation to you within five (5) business days and provide you with a unique personal identification number (PIN), password, or both that can be used by you to authorize the removal or lifting of the security freeze.

To lift the security freeze in order to allow a specific entity or individual access to your credit report, you must call or send a written request to the credit reporting agencies by mail and include proper identification (name, address, and social security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze as well as the identities of those entities or individuals you would like to receive your credit report or the specific period of time you want the credit report available.  The credit reporting agencies have three (3) business days after receiving your request to lift the security freeze for those identified entities or for the specified period of time.

To remove the security freeze, you must send a written request to each of the three credit bureaus by mail and include proper identification (name, address, and social security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze.  The credit bureaus have three (3) business days after receiving your request to remove the security freeze.

› RESIDENTS OF NEW MEXICO

You have rights under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act ("FCRA").  These include, among others, the right to know what is in your files at consumer reporting agencies; to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information in your files at consumer reporting agencies; and to have consumer reporting agencies correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information in your credit file.  For more information about the FCRA, please visit https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf or the FTC website at www.ftc.gov.

In Addition, New Mexico Consumers Have the Right to Obtain a Security Freeze or Submit a Declaration of Removal.

You may obtain a security freeze on your credit report to protect your privacy and ensure that credit is not granted in your name without your knowledge.  You may submit a declaration of removal to remove information placed in your credit report as a result of being a victim of identity theft.  You have a right to place a security freeze on your credit report or submit a declaration of removal pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting and Identity Security Act.

The security freeze will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing any information in your credit report without your express authorization or approval.

The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent.  When you place a security freeze on your credit report, you will be provided with a personal identification number, password, or similar device to use if you choose to remove the freeze on your credit report or to temporarily authorize the release of your credit report to a specific party or parties or for a specific period of time after the freeze is in place.  To remove the freeze or to provide authorization for the temporary release of your credit report, you must contact the consumer reporting agency and provide all of the following:

A consumer reporting agency that receives a request from a consumer to lift temporarily a freeze on a credit report shall comply with the request no later than three business days after receiving the request.  As of September 1, 2008, a consumer reporting agency shall comply with the request within fifteen minutes of receiving the request by a secure electronic method or by telephone.

A security freeze does not apply in all circumstances, such as where you have an existing account relationship and a copy of your credit report is requested by your existing creditor or its agents for certain types of account review, collection, fraud control, or similar activities; for use in setting or adjusting an insurance rate or claim or insurance underwriting; for certain governmental purposes; and for purposes of prescreening as defined in the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.

If you are actively seeking a new credit, loan, utility, telephone, or insurance account, you should understand that the procedures involved in lifting a security freeze may slow your own applications for credit.  You should plan ahead and lift a freeze, either completely if you are shopping around or specifically for a certain creditor, with enough advance notice before you apply for new credit for the lifting to take effect.  You should contact a consumer reporting agency and request it to lift the freeze at least three business days before applying.  As of September 1, 2008, if you contact a consumer reporting agency by a secure electronic method or by telephone, the consumer reporting agency should lift the freeze within fifteen minutes.  You have a right to bring a civil action against a consumer reporting agency that violates your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting and Identity Security Act.

› RESIDENTS OF NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina residents can obtain information from the North Carolina Attorney General about steps they can take to avoid identity theft at:

North Carolina Office of the Attorney General
9001 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699
(877) 566-7226 (toll-free in North Carolina)
(919) 716-6400 
www.ncdoj.gov/Consumer.aspx

› RESIDENTS OF OREGON

Oregon residents are advised to report any suspected incidents of identity theft to law enforcement, including the Oregon Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission. The Oregon Attorney General may be contacted at:

Oregon Department of Justice
1162 Court Street NE
Salem, OR 97301
www.doj.state.or.us

› RESIDENTS OF RHODE ISLAND

Under Rhode Island law, you have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this incident. If you are the victim of identity theft, you also have the right to file a police report and obtain a copy of it.  Contact your local police department to file a report.  The report may be filed in the location in which the offense occurred, or the city or county in which you reside.  When you file the report, provide as much documentation as possible, including copies of debt collection letters, credit reports, and your notarized ID Theft Affidavit.

You can also contact law enforcement, such as the Rhode Island Attorney General, to report instances of identity theft or to learn about steps you can take to protect yourself from identity theft. You can contact the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General at:

Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General
150 South Main Street
Providence, RI 02093
(401) 274-4400
www.riag.ri.gov

Consumers have the right to obtain a security freeze

You may obtain a security freeze on your credit report to protect your privacy and ensure that credit is not granted in your name without your knowledge. You have a right to place a "security freeze" on your credit report pursuant to the R.I.G.L. chapter 6-48 to the Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2006.

The security freeze will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing any information in your credit report without your express authorization or approval.

The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. When you place a security freeze on your credit report, within five (5) business days you will be provided a personal identification number or password to use if you choose to remove the freeze on your credit report or to temporarily authorize the release of your credit report for a specific period of time after the freeze is in place. To provide that authorization, you must contact the consumer reporting agency and provide all of the following:

A consumer reporting agency that receives a request from a consumer to temporarily lift a freeze on a credit report shall comply with the request no later than three (3) business days after receiving the request.

A security freeze does not apply to circumstances where you have an existing account relationship and a copy of your report is requested by your existing creditor or its agents or affiliates for certain types of an account review, collection, fraud control or similar activities.

If you are actively seeking a new credit, loan, utility, telephone, or insurance account, you should understand that the procedures involved in lifting a security freeze may slow your own applications for credit. You should plan ahead and lift a freeze – either completely if you are shopping around, or specifically for a certain creditor – with enough advance notice before you apply for new credit for the lifting to take effect.

You have a right to bring a civil action against someone who violates your rights under the credit reporting laws. The action can be brought against a consumer reporting agency or a user of your credit report.

Unless you are sixty-five (65) years of age or older, or you are a victim of identity theft with an incident report or complaint from a law enforcement agency, a consumer reporting agency has the right to charge you up to ten dollars($10.00) to place a freeze on your credit report, up to ten dollars($10.00) to temporarily lift a freeze on your credit report, depending on the circumstances, and up to ten dollars($10.00) to remove a freeze from your credit report. If you are sixty-five (65) years of age or older or are a victim or [of] identity theft with a valid incident report or complaint, you may not be charged a fee by a consumer reporting agency for placing, temporarily lifting, or removing a freeze.

To place a security freeze on your credit report, you must send a written request to each of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies – Equifax (www.equifax.com), Experian (www.experian.com) and TransUnion (www.transunion.com) – by regular, certified or overnight mail at the addresses below:

Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348
(888) 766-0008

Experian Security Freeze
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
(888) 397-3742

TransUnion Security Freeze
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
(888) 909-8872

In order to request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:

› RESIDENTS OF CANADA

You may obtain a free copy of your credit report by contacting either of the two national credit reporting agencies directly:

Equifax 
www.equifax.ca 
1-800-465-7166

TransUnion
www.transunion.ca 
1-800-663-9980

When you receive your credit reports, review them carefully.  Look for accounts or creditor inquiries that you did not initiate or do not recognize.  Look for information, such as home address and Social Insurance Number, that is not accurate.  If you see anything you do not understand, call the credit reporting agency at the telephone number on the report.

We recommend that you remain vigilant by reviewing your account statements and credit reports closely.  If you detect any suspicious activity on an account, you should promptly notify the financial institution or company with which the account is maintained.  We also recommend that you promptly report any suspicious activity or any suspected incidence of identity theft to the proper law enforcement authorities, including local law enforcement and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre ("CAFC"). To report fraudulent activity or suspected identity theft to the CAFC, contact:

Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
1-800-663-9980 
http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/

You may also wish to place a fraud alert on your credit files.  A fraud alert tells creditors to contact you personally before they open any new accounts in your name, increase the credit limit on an existing account, or provide a new card on an existing account.  To place a fraud alert, contact either of the credit bureaus at the numbers or websites listed above.

You may obtain additional information from the CAFC about steps you can take to avoid identity theft, including how to place a fraud alert on your credit account.  You may also obtain additional information about protecting yourself against identity theft on the following websites:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner 
https://www.priv.gc.ca/information/pub/guide_idt_e.asp

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta 
http://www.oipc.ab.ca

Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia
http://www.oipc.bc.ca/

Office of the Access to Information and Privacy Commissioner of New Brunswick
http://www.info-priv-nb.ca/Default.asp

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for Newfoundland and Labrador
http://www.oipc.gov.nl.ca/default.htm

Freedom of Information and Privacy Review Office of Nova Scotia
http://foipop.ns.ca/

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
http://www.ipc.on.ca/

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Prince Edward Island
http://www.assembly.pe.ca/index.php3?number=1013943

Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec
http://www.cai.gouv.qc.ca/index-en.html

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Saskatchewan
http://www.oipc.sk.ca

Royal Canadian Mounted Police
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/id-theft-vol-eng.htm

Canada Revenue Agency
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/scrty/frdprvntn/menu-eng.html

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SOURCE SBE ENT Holdings, LLC