Senators Call For A Data Security Law
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. J. Scott Applewhite/AP
The Marriott breach—the latest of many mega-breaches—inspired some lawmakers to push for new privacy legislation.
The world's largest hotel chain was hacked and some lawmakers are not happy.
The Marriott breach affected 500 million hotel guests and put their personal information at risk that includes credit numbers, passport numbers, mailing addresses, email addresses and phone numbers. The company discovered the hack on Sept. 8 and announced it to the public on Nov. 30.
Soon after, senators called for national data privacy legislation to safeguard consumer information and hold companies accountable for mishandling people's data.
"We must pass laws that require data minimization, ensuring companies do not keep sensitive data that they no longer need," Sen. Mark Warner D-Va, cofounder of the Cybersecurity Caucus said. "And it is past time we enact data security laws that ensure companies account for security costs rather than making their consumers shoulder the burden and harms resulting from these lapses."
Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. echoed Warner's sentiments. Blumenthal also recently criticized the Federal Trade Commission for not doing enough to stop data breaches, CNET reports.
"Breaches like this can lead to identity theft and crippling financial fraud," Markey said. "They are a black cloud hanging over the United States’ bright economic horizon."
The Marriott breach certainly isn't the first data breach of this size, and it likely won't be the last.