Marriott International - News, Features, and Slideshows

Hackers behind a massive breach at Marriott International left clues suggesting they were working for a Chinese government intelligence gathering operation.

Rick Hampton, the wireless communications manager for Boston-based <a href="http://www.partners.org/">Partners Healthcare</a>, has seen the dialogue among network professionals heating up in the wake of the FCC's sternly-worded enforcement warning about illegal Wi-Fi blocking and says it's no wonder the commission is fired up.

First the FCC slapped Marriott International with a $600K fine for Wi-Fi blocking and issued a follow-up enforcement warning to the masses. Now the FTC has issued a hotel Wi-Fi warning of its own.

The FCC has been very clear that it didn't approve of a Marriott International hotel's blocking of convention center attendees' Wi-Fi hotspots: It <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/article/2691674/wifi/marriott-must-pay-600000-for-blocking-personal-wifi-hotspots.html">fined the hospitality company $600,000 last fall</a> and <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/article/2876239/wi-fi/fcc-calls-blocking-of-personal-wi-fi-hotspots-disturbing-trend.html">issued a stern warning on Jan. 27</a> that such wireless network interference by others will not be tolerated either.

The FCC's sternly worded warning about illegal Wi-Fi blocking earlier this week got through to at least one organization: Marriott International's Global CIO issued a statement Friday that the hospitality outfit is withdrawing efforts to gain clarification from the commission on what methods <em>can</em> be used to protect corporate Wi-Fi networks.