Check Your Password, Marriott Making Security Changes
Update: See the comments from a user below who got locked out of his account for resetting his password. Might want to wait on this one.
A representative from Marriott reached out to me today about some password updates that they’re doing. They increased security a couple of years ago, which certainly seems prudent given how many hacking incidents have been associated with hotel chains recently. Hyatt was the most recent data breach I wrote about, but Starwood was in the same boat last year along with Marriott and Hilton. When Marriott increased security a few years ago, it was only for folks creating new passwords. Now, they’re implementing the standards for folks who haven’t changed their password in a while (I sheepishly raise my hand). While they said they’ll be sending out e-mails to those affected, it never hurts to log-in, check your account and even change your password. From the folks at Marriott:
We are encouraging them to take action now rather than wait until new password requirements take effect on May 19.
It will be easy for members to change their passwords. All they will need to do is:
- Log into your Marriott Rewards account on your desktop or laptop computer
- Select “My Account”
- Select “Profile”
- Select “Edit” in the Password Section
- Enter current and new password
- Confirm your identity if you are not using a registered device
Most people don’t think about loyalty points as money, but to me they’re currency, so I do my best to change my passwords frequently to protect my “travel investment accounts”. Better safe than sorry!
The post Check Your Password, Marriott Making Security Changes was published first on Pizza in Motion
“… it never hurts to log-in, check your account and even change your password…”
Actually, Ed, I did log in as suggested by the e-mail and changed my password. I haven’t been able to log in since. When I finally got through to a harried-sounding Marriott phone rep awhile ago, she told me the problem resulted from Marriott’s acquiring Starwood (!) and the “system is down.” She suggested I try again in an hour. When I told her it had already been several hours, she suggested I try tomorrow.
FWIW I would suggest NOT trying to change a password today.
Fredd, thanks for following back up and sorry you got stuck in that loop. I pinged my contact at Marriott to alert them of the issue.
Waiting for them to offer some points to do so, like SPG did.
Ed,
I got the email too and my password was already reasonably strong and generated by a password generator.
The merger of the programs is at least 18 months away and they are claiming everybody needs to change their passwords now?
I’m calling BS on this from Marriott. I’m guessing they had some other reason for doing this and for some reason don’t want to disclose the real reason for what they did.
Afterall, if there’s new password requirements, don’t you think they would at least tell you what they are? I didn’t see any guidelines anywhere when following their directions.
-David
David, Marriott is saying it’s not rolling out new requirements. They’re now enforcing them for people who never changed their passwords since the new requirements were adopted. I think the agent who spoke with Fredd was just wrong. I certainly wouldn’t rule out some other sort of impetus for this announcement.