Hackers have told the BBC they carried out a cyber-attack against
Holiday Inn owner Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) "for fun".
The BBC reported the couple said they were from Vietnam. They first
tried a ransomware attack, then deleted large amounts of data when they
were foiled.
The hackers, calling themselves TeaPea, contacted the BBC on an
encrypted messaging app, providing screenshots as evidence that they had
carried out the hack, gaining access to the firm's databases thanks to a
weak password.
UK-based IHG operates 6,000 hotels around the world, including the
Holiday Inn, InterContinental, Six Senses, Crowne Plaza and Regent
brands.
Last week IHG customers reported widespread problems with booking and check-in.
An IHG spokeswoman disputed that the password vault details were not
secure, saying that the attacker had to evade "multiple layers of
security”.