Hacker couple erased hotel group's data for fun: Report

(Representational image)

Two hackers last week deleted the data of British hotel chain, the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), causing significant booking disruptions. Turns out, they did it just for fun.

The hackers, a couple from Vietnam, told the BBC they originally wanted to carry out a ransomware attack but found themselves thwarted.

"The company's IT team kept isolating servers before we had a chance to deploy it," they said.

Then, they hatched another plan. "We thought to have some funny (sic). We did a wiper attack instead," one of them said.

A wiper attack involves wiping off or overwriting data of a target server.

The hackers claimed to have gained access to the most sensitive parts of IHG's systems using its internal password vault that was "extremely weak". The hotel group has refuted this claim.

The couple shared with the BBC screenshots showing their hack. IHG confirmed that the images were authentic.

The hackers said they did not feel any guilt about the damage they caused to the hotel group.

"We don't feel guilty, really," one of them told the BBC. "We prefer to have a legal job here in Vietnam but the wage is average $300 per month. I'm sure our hack won't hurt the company a lot."

The couple's actions led to significant disruptions in "booking channels and other applications", IHG said in a statement.

"IHG has implemented its response plans, is notifying relevant regulatory authorities and is working closely with its technology suppliers. External specialists have also been engaged to investigate the incident," it added.