Skift Take
A large number of hotels updated their systems following the presentation this summer by a software developer. Those that didn't are leaving themselves open to thefts like this from people who can learn the methods via YouTube and a bit of online research.
… Two days after the break-in, a letter from hotel management confirmed the answer: The room’s lock hadn’t been picked, and hadn’t been opened with any key. Instead, it had been hacked with a digital tool that effortlessly triggered its opening mechanism in seconds. The burglary, one of a string of similar thefts that hit the Hyatt in September, were real-world cases of a theoretical intrusion technique researchers had warned about months earlier—one that may still be effective on hundreds of thousands or millions of locks protecting hotel rooms around the world.
Last month Houston police arrested 27-year-old Matthew Allen Cook and charged him with theft in a September 7th break-in at the Hyatt House Galleria.
Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch