Last month, Adobe Systems reported that it had experienced a data breach that potentially exposed three million customers’ information to a hacker.  Adobe later corrected this announcement, stating that the number of potentially exposed customers as a result of this same breach was actually 38 million.  Then, earlier this month, media reported that it had found more than 152 million Adobe users’ account information, including email addresses, encrypted passwords, and password hints, on an underground website frequented by cyber criminals.

The number of records stolen appears to be the largest ever taken as the result of a data breach.  Adobe is continuing to work with law enforcement and investigators to ascertain the full extent of the breach, including the number of affected users and the types of compromised information.  At this time, approximately 38 million active Adobe users have been notified.

Hotels and their data security teams should take note of the extensive damage – potentially affecting over 100 million people – that one simple data breach can cause.  Hotels can help prevent such catastrophes from happening by properly training their employees to be especially vigilant in not opening or using unknown files or emails and using Venza’s PCI training modules or other custom learning solutionsto protect themselves and their guests’ private data.

The Venza Group has partnered with Arnall Golden Gregory (AGG) to create a series of interactive eLearning modules to address PCI compliance in the hotel industry. Management, employees and IT are taught about the requirements they must support as part of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards.  The Venza Group also is partnering with AGG to create an interactive eLearning module to train hoteliers on general privacy and security awareness issues.