Austrian hotel ditching key cards after hackers strike

Owners to use old-fashioned lock-and-key system.

PARIS — An Austrian luxury hotel is ditching electronic room cards for old-fashioned locks and keys after having its systems frozen by blackmail-hungry hackers.

The management of Romantik Seehotel Jaegerwirt, in the Austrian Alps, said Tuesday that they’ve been repeatedly targeted by cybercriminals. One recent infection with ransom software — on Dec. 6 — resulted in a complete shutdown of hotel computers. The couple had to pay nearly $1,600 worth of the electronic currency bitcoin to restore their network, according to Christina Brandstaetter, who runs the hotel along with her husband, Christoph.

“When the hackers got the money, they unlocked the computers, making them all run as normal again,” she said.

The story of the hotel’s hack was widely shared after several publications incorrectly reported that the ransomware resulted in guests being locked into or out of their rooms.

But Brandstaetter said that the infection only resulted in new guests being unable to get keys to their rooms for “a couple hours.” New arrivals were treated to champagne and went skiing or hiking in the meantime, she said.

Cybercriminals are still targeting the hotel, Brandstaetter said. The spate of electronic intrusions has prompted the hotel to upgrade and compartmentalize its network. She said the hotel would eventually return to the lock-and-key system “as in times of our grandfathers.” Last year, European police agency Europol said it had eclipsed other forms of online theft. Officials are trying to put a stop to ransom payments, but they’re up against powerful incentives to give in — and the notion that everyone else is, too.

The story of the hotel’s hack was widely shared after several publications incorrectly reported that the ransomware resulted in guests being locked into or out of their rooms.