Laura Hobson, Co-Founder & COO, YoursGlobal · · 5 min read
Hotels have a financial incentive not to talk about security problems. Advertising that locks are vulnerable, cameras might be hidden in rooms, or Wi-Fi could be cloned is not exactly a marketing message.
So hotels may handle incidents quietly, upgrade systems slowly, and leave travelers unaware.
You call the front desk and ask whether the property’s locks have been updated from a documented dormakaba vulnerability. The person answering may have no idea what you are talking about. You ask whether the Wi-Fi is secure. They say yes because they genuinely believe it is. You ask how often rooms are checked for hidden cameras and get a blank stare.
They may not be lying. They may simply not have been informed or trained on the specific issue.
Because hotels cannot always complete this verification quickly, travelers need a way to make a practical first check themselves. YourSweep helps answer the questions a hotel may not be ready to answer.
When you find a vulnerable lock, suspicious Wi-Fi network, or unfamiliar tracker, you can contact the hotel with specific information. Instead of saying that something feels wrong, you can explain that the room is using MIFARE Classic keycards with documented vulnerabilities and ask for a room change or a conversation with the security team.
The conversation changes when you are informed. You are not being paranoid. You are asking a reasonable question based on what you observed.
Hotels respect informed guests, and informed guests help drive better security practices.
Laura Hobson, Co-Founder & COO, YoursGlobal