Hospitality Chain Says Employee Data Stolen in Ransomware Attack

Hospitality chain McMenamins has confirmed that employee information dating back to January 1998 was compromised in a recent data extortion ransomware attack.

McMenamins, which operates a chain of breweries, pubs, hotels, and music venues in Oregon and Washington, says it blocked the attack on December 12, but warned that data of both current and past employees was compromised.

The company has sent notification letters to individuals it employed between July 1, 2010 and December 12, 2021, encouraging past employees (January 1, 1998 to June 30, 2010) to visit its website for instructions on protecting their data.

In a statement, the company said compromised data includes names, birth dates, physical and email addresses, phone numbers, race, ethnicity, gender, Social Security numbers, performance and disciplinary notes, income and retirement contribution amounts, and medical information such as disability status and health insurance plan elections.

In addition, McMenamins says the attackers might have been able to access “files containing direct deposit bank account information,” but notes that no evidence that they did so has been found.

McMenamins claimed no customer payment data was affected but noted that the incident impacted operational systems such as phone, credit card processing, and hotel reservation systems. Gift card purchases and redemptions are affected too, just as the company’s email system.

Related: IT Services Firm Inetum Discloses Ransomware Attack

Related: Shutterfly Says Ransomware Attack Impacted Manufacturing

Related: Norwegian Media Firm Amedia Suffers Disruption Due to Cyberattack