Hackers informed the BBC that they carried out a destructive cyber attack against the Holiday Inn owner, Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), just for fun. They are describing themselves as a couple from Vietnam, and they say they tried a ransomware attack but then deleted a large amount of data when they were foiled.
They earlier accessed the FTSE 100 firm’s database and thanks to an easily found and weak password, Qwerty1234. An expert says the case highlights the vindictive side of criminal hackers. UK-based IHG operates about 6,000 hotels around the world, which includes the Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and Regent brands.
Last week, on Monday, customers reported widespread problems with booking and check-in. But for 24 hours, IHG responded to customers on social media by saying that the company was undergoing system maintenance. But then on Tuesday afternoon, it told the investors that the system had been hacked.
An official notice that the booking channels and other applications have been significantly disrupted since yesterday has been lodged with the London Stock Exchange. The hackers, calling themselves TeaPea, contacted the BBC on an encrypted messaging app like Telegram and also provided screenshots as evidence that they had carried out the hack.
The images that IHG has confirmed are genuine and show that they have gained access to the company’s internal outlook emails, Microsoft Teams chat, and server directories.
FAQ
- What did hackers call themselves?
Ans. TeaPea
- When did the IT person tell investors that it had been hacked?
Ans. On Tuesday
- What is the full form of IHG?
Ans. Intercontinental Hotels Group.
