Schneier on Security

Bob Meade • November 15, 2008 10:50 PM

I have worked in hotels for more than 20 years. On the security side of the business, and the operational side too, including managing the housekeeping and front desk departments. And I live in Australia.

I’ll give some suggestions on gauging the security awareness of the hotel staff and security vulnerability of your hotel.

I’ll try not to give hotel thieves too much to work with. They use Google too.

• In years past, there have been professional hotel thieves working in Australia, mostly of South American origin, some home grown. thishappens in other parts of the world too.
• It is unclear from the news item whether or not the subject hotel used metal/mechanical keys and locks or electronic locks with keycards.
• If the hotel uses metal keys (with the exception of Marlok which is a high security electronic system) and you want to be secure then check out and go somewhere else that uses an electronic system. Too many lost and unaccounted for keys in circulation.
• Now that you are in a room with a modern electronic hotel guest room lock it should have a deadlock on the back (usually looks like a small lever you flick, but can also look like a button you depress in the back of the lock handle), it should also have an old fashioned keychain so you have some defence against staff members who ignore your Do Not Disturb sign or the theif who has circumvented your use of the deadlock. The door should have a fire rated eye peephole in it. For people who are of short stature, this peephole needs to be low enough for you to see out. If it is not, you will need to ask for a stool to stand upon.

If your guest room door lock does not have all three – a deadlock on the back, an old fashioned security chain, and a peephole – then go somewhere else that does.

I do bear in mind the comment above about the neccessity of not deadlocking the door if you are awaiting your roommate’s late return while you may be asleep – but be aware that you assume some risk if you do not deadlock your door and use the key chain provided. If your employer has put you in a shared room under such circumstances such as conference attendance for example (very common) then the employer is exposing the employee to some increased risk.

• Many hotel front desk staff adn housekeeping staff CAN remember your face and name even though they have dealt with hundreds of people that day – one of the skills of the business. Many cannot. However it is very good practice for the staff member issuing a key upon request of a purported guest to check a few details on the computer such as matching name to room number. It is coommon for guests to misquote a room number, particularly frequent travellers whose room number at a previous lodging property pops into their mind when they are asking for a keycard. Another very good reason is that you may have changed rooms either voluntarily or involuntarily since the staff member last dealt with you.

• If you have an item of valuable property then keep it on your person, or in your hand, or in the hotel’s safe deposit facility. If it is not on your person, or in your hand, or in the safe deposit then it may be stolen. I can’t elaborate further on this. Sometimes, just as in the street, even on your person or in your hand is not safe. If it is not in the safe deposit facility, then you are assuming some risk. I know the use of laptop computers and all the other electronic devices associated with modern life make this difficult – but well, there it is.

• It’s a very good idea to say hello to the housekeeping staff on your floor, and look them in the eye when you see them. Same with the front desk staff every time you walk past. The more familiar they are with you, the more they can associate your face and name with a particular room, the less likely they will be to succumb to an attempt to illegally gain entry to your room using some of the ploys mentioned above.

Ok, so here’s the summary:

• no electronic lock – no stay.

• no deadlock facility, no security chain, no peephole – no stay.

• Not happy with the security awareness of front desk staff and housekeeping – no stay.

• Lock up your valuables in the safety deposit, or keep them on you, or in your hand. That means not on the counter, not on the floor beside you, not on the seat beside you.

I know nothing about the facts of the case in Cairns, and hence will offer no opinion.