TripAdvisor reports email breach
The travel site TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com) says hackers broke into its database and stole part of its 20 million-member email list. Some members might start receiving unwanted spam as a result.
CEO Steve Kaufer waited until Thursday to notify subscribers of the breach, which he said was discovered last weekend. TripAdvisor wouldn't saw how many members were affected, only that "a portion" of email addresses were taken, and passwords remain secure.
TripAdvisor, owned by Expedia Inc., is one of the world's largest Internet travel sites. It provides links to hotel booking sites, and is best-known for the millions of reviews its users post about their hotel experiences. Those who want to post reviews must create an account using an email address to become a member. It doesn't collect credit card information or sell or rent its member list.
