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Wyndham Worldwide Corp., a Parsippany, N.J.-based lodging company, says hackers gained access to one of its computer servers and an undisclosed amount of sensitive cardholder data. A letter the hotel company sent to notify customers stated that the breach happened in mid-September. A Wyndham spokesperson tells CardLine the company immediately notified American Express Co., Discover Financial Services, MasterCard Worldwide and Visa Inc. In the letter to customers, Wyndham says a forensic investigation confirmed that the hacker gained access to a computer network at one of Wyndham's franchise hotels and was able to access customer transaction files at an undisclosed number of other Wyndham hotels. Then the hacker created a file containing credit and debit card numbers. Following the breach Wyndham closed off the hacker's access and revalidated the security of its computer network. It also notified its franchisees and law enforcement officials. Additionally, Wyndham provided the payment card companies with the actual credit and debit card numbers the hacker collected. A Wyndham spokesperson did not say why customer notifications were not sent until December. It is offering affected customers one year of Equifax credit-reporting services in addition to telling customers about free credit and identity-theft services. Among Wyndham hotel brands are Super 8, Travelodge, Wyndham Hotel and Resorts and Howard Johnson.
