HOUSTON – Texas travelers who sailed with Carnival could be among those impacted by a newly disclosed cybersecurity breach that exposed sensitive personal information, including passport and driver’s license numbers.
In a public notice posted May 27, Carnival Corporation said hackers gained access to part of the company’s IT network in April after using social engineering tactics to deceive an employee and compromise an account.
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According to the company, the breach was first detected April 14, and investigators later determined the attacker illegally copied customer and employee data.
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The compromised information may include names, home addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, and government-issued identification numbers such as passports and driver’s licenses.
The incident could impact Texans, especially with Houston and Galveston serving as major cruise hubs for Carnival passengers traveling through the Gulf of America.
Port of Galveston is one of the busiest cruise ports in the country and a major departure point for multiple Carnival ships year-round.
Carnival said the breach appears to have been limited to a “small portion” of its systems and that the company is not aware of ongoing unauthorized activity since stopping the attack.
The company has not publicly disclosed how many people were affected nationwide.
Texans who have traveled with Carnival are encouraged to closely monitor bank accounts, credit reports, and email communications for suspicious activity.
The company also said law enforcement was notified, and third-party cybersecurity experts were brought in to investigate and strengthen security systems.
Experts also recommend considering a fraud alert or credit freeze with the major credit bureaus if sensitive identification information may have been exposed.