Wilderness Resort officials announce recent security compromise; credit, debit cards impacted

WISCONSIN DELLS -- Wilderness Resort officials on Monday, November 23rd announced that a recent data incident compromised the security of some of the resort’s computer processing systems. Guests who used their debit or credit card to pay for or place hotel reservations or to make purchases at onsite food and beverage outlets, attractions, and retail locations between March 9, 2015 and June 8, 2015 could potentially be affected by this incident.

The security compromise, however, did not impact the resort’s computer system used to process online gift card purchases or the computer system used to process purchases at off-site food and beverage locations -- including Field’s at the Wilderness, Sarento’s and Monk’s - or Sundara Spa.

“We take the security of our guests’ personal information very seriously, and want to sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this incident may have caused any of our guests,” said Joe Eck, general manager. “By working closely with third-party forensic investigators to confirm the security of our systems, we are confident that our guests can once again safely use their payment cards throughout our resort.”

On October 8, 2015, Wilderness, with the help of third-party forensic investigators, discovered an unknown person or persons had placed a sophisticated malware on the resort’s computer systems used to process credit and debit cards.

The resort launched an in-depth investigation to determine what happened and what information was affected.

After extensive investigation, forensic investigators determined that the processing systems for the resort’s reservation system, onsite food and beverage outlets, attractions and retail locations were compromised. As this investigation was being conducted, the resort also implemented additional security measures to prevent any further unauthorized access.

The malware, which was removed, may have compromised the security of payment cards processed by the resort between March 9, 2015 and June 8, 2015.

The cardholder data that may be at risk as a result of this incident includes name, card number, expiration date, and CVV.

The resort is offering guests, who provided card information or who used their card onsite during this time period, access to one free year of credit monitoring.

Guests can enroll in this complimentary service by visiting the Resort’s website at http://www.wildernessresort.com.

Additionally, the resort has established a dedicated assistance line for anyone seeking more information regarding this incident. It can be reached by calling 1 (855) 770-0004, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday. Callers should use reference number 7113111815 when calling.

The resort encourages everyone to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft by reviewing their account statements regularly and monitoring their credit reports for suspicious activity. Under U.S. law, everyone is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Individuals may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of their credit report.

The resort encourages everyone to take additional action to further protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss. At no charge, an individual can have the credit bureaus place a “fraud alert” on their file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify their identity prior to granting credit in their name. Note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect the individual, it may also delay the individual’s ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies their identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms the guest’s fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on this person’s file. Should an individual wish to place a fraud alert, or have any questions regarding his or her credit report, they can contact any one of the agencies listed below.





































































Equifax       Experian       TransUnion
P.O. Box 105069 P.O. Box 2002 P.O. Box 2000
Atlanta, GA 30348 Allen, TX 75013 Chester, PA 19022-2000
800-525-6285 888-397-3742 800-680-7289
www.equifax.com www.experian.com www.transunion.com
 


An individual may also place a security freeze on their credit reports. A security freeze prohibits a credit reporting agency from releasing any information from one’s credit report without the consumer’s written authorization. However, placing a security freeze on one’s credit report may delay, interfere with, or prevent the timely approval of any requests the individual makes for new loans, credit mortgages, employment, housing, or other services.

If an individual has been a victim of identity theft, and he or she provides the credit reporting agency with a valid police report, the credit reporting agency cannot charge to place, lift or remove a security freeze. In all other cases, a credit reporting agency may charge a person a fee to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a security freeze. The individual will need to place a security freeze separately with each of the three major credit bureaus listed above if the guest wishes to place the freeze on all of their credit files.

To find out more on how to place a security freeze, individuals can contact the credit reporting agencies using the information below:
















































































Equifax Security Freeze       Experian Security Freeze       TransUnion LLC
P.O. Box 105788 P.O. Box 9554 P.O. Box 2000
Atlanta, GA 30348 Allen, TX 75013 Chester, PA 19022-2000
800-685-1111 888-397-3742 888-909-8872
800-349-9960 (NY Residents)
freeze.equifax.com www.experian.com freeze.transunion.com