Around 10.6 million guests of MGM Resorts International are affected by the data theft. Among them are celebrity guests such as Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Canadian pop star Justin Bieber.
As ZDNet reports that the data was discovered last week on a hacker forum. Among those affected were other celebrities, corporate executives, reporters and government employees — as well as any number of tourists.
When asked by ZDNet, the hotel chain confirmed the attack. According to MGM Resorts International, the attack had already taken place last summer and the affected guests had been informed immediately. The company did not comment on the extent of the data leak. The data affected is primarily personal data such as names, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, addresses and dates of birth.
At the latest since the General Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO) came into force, such data leaks can be expensive for companies in this country, because if you have customer data stolen, you are liable in the event of publication, even if you did not publish it yourself. Then there’s the loss of image and potentially alienated customers. An example of how to react correctly in such a situation can be found here.