Carnival Cruise Line announced that hackers broke into their computer systems and stole personal information from nearly 6 million people. The stolen data included names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of passengers and employees who used Carnival's services.
The company discovered the breach when it noticed unusual activity in its networks. Hackers likely got in through weak passwords or unpatched software, which are common entry points for cyber attacks on large companies.
The people most affected are cruise passengers who booked trips through Carnival and workers employed by the cruise line. These individuals now face a higher risk of getting scam calls, spam emails, or identity theft, where someone uses their personal information to open fake accounts or make purchases.
Carnival said it is notifying all affected people by email and mail with instructions on how to monitor their accounts for suspicious activity. The company is also offering free credit monitoring for two years to help people catch fraud early if it happens.