IT Security Stories to Watch: Were Hilton Hotel Properties Breached?

Hackers may have illegally accessed point-of-sale registers at several Hilton Hotel (HLT) properties across the United States. 

And as a result, Hilton tops this week’s list of IT security newsmakers, followed by Apple (AAPL), the University of Calgary and Big Blue Bus. 

What can managed service providers (MSPs) and their customers learn from these IT security newsmakers? Check out this week’s edition of IT security stories to watch to find out:

1. Hilton may have suffered a data breach

Hilton is investigating claims that point-of-sale registers at some of its properties were illegally accessed by hackers. 

The incident could date back to November 2014 and be ongoing, according to several sources familiar with the situation.

“Hilton Worldwide is strongly committed to protecting our customers’ credit card information,” the company told Krebs on Security. “We have many systems in place and work with some of the top experts in the field to address data security. Unfortunately the possibility of fraudulent credit card activity is all too common for every company in today’s marketplace. We take any potential issue very seriously, and we are looking into this matter.”

2. Apple identifies top 25 apps hit by recent cyberattack

Apple has named the WeChat messaging app among those affected by a recent cyberattack. 

The technology giant last week said it was cleaning up its App Store after numerous cybersecurity firms reported that hackers had embedded a malware, called XcodeGhost, in hundreds of Chinese apps.

In addition, Apple told Reuters that it was working with app developers to get the affected apps back on the App Store and was blocking new apps that contained the malware.

3. University of Calgary gets breached

The University of Calgary has reported a data breach that impacted many employees. 

Calgary Sun reported that the personal information of several employees was illegally accessed, leaving these workers without their most recent paychecks. 

Local police are investigating the incident. 

4. Hackers target Big Blue Bus

California bus service Big Blue Bus has been victimized by hackers, according to Santa Monica Daily Press. 

The company recently started notifying customers about a data breach relating to NextBus, a Big Blue Bus program that makes real-time bus arrival information available to customers. 

“On September 18, NextBus detected suspicious activity from an agency account and its IT experts worked quickly to minimize the issue. An unauthorized individual may have gained access to a database containing some account information of our NextBus agency customers and the riders that use NextBus services,” Big Blue Bus said in an alert. 

What are your thoughts on this week’s IT security stories to watch? Share your thoughts about this story in the Comments section below, via Twitter @dkobialka or email me at [email protected].