[Update: Since I wrote this, Best Western has responded to the story, firmly denying the reported scale of their data loss. I've posted more on this here]

Here’s a big story from Iain S Bruce at the Sunday Herald in Glasgow; a story with global impact and ramifications. The name, address, booking and credit card details of eight million people have been compromised after a Best Western hotel computer system was cracked, the newspaper claims.

If you’ve stayed in one of those hotels – there are more than 1300 – in the last year, or have a booking in one for sometime soon, you may want to check your credit card and bank statements with even more care for the next few… umm… years.

And, as Craig McGill points out…

“Not only is it a cracking tale, but it shows that in this day and age you can pull in a good scoop from contacts across the globe – as long as you have the paper willing to back you on it. Contacts are no longer just people you meet down the road.”

Indeed. Little wonder the story appears to be the Herald’s splash this morning. Oddly, there is no reaction on Best Western’s website at the time of writing. [Update: as I say, now there is a response]

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