Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

securitymagazine.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 236 posts

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#91

Post by Scoundreller »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #83
Scoundreller wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m usually in developed countries with pickpocketing as a problem, so I’m confident in showing my drivers license if I get controlled by police, but if I lose my passport, I’m in trouble. But what if you have 2 passports? Carrying both is a SPoF. Where do you hide the additional?

> Where do you hide the additional? Definitely not in the room safe, that's the first thing they'll look through. Maybe the hotel has their own safe? But that involves trusting the staff. I think all bets are off if someone with intent breaks into your room and does a full upheaval, but hiding it in your suitcase or e.g. sticking it with some tape under a cabinet or drawer might be adequate.

Reminds me of my college days, we’d play “trophy bowl” where teams of 2 against 2 would have to find a hidden object and then place it in a room cup in the centre of the room (or a bowl of a trophy if one was available).

Our preferred strategy was to have my teammate pin down the other two so I could search the room uninhibited.

Made for great entertainment for anyone watching.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#92

Post by dageshi »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #81
dageshi wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An appropriately sized pacsafe is what I use. https://pacsafe.co.uk/collections/portable-safes-bag-protect... Even something as simple as having a bag that locks and putting your valuables in it and locking it would probably deal with 90% of issues. If you're an average person travelling the risk you face is from the hotel house keeping staff and there's really two types of theft there. First is opportunistic where t…

The lockpicking lawyer reviewed a number of these, a lot of the ones from Amazon are actually pretty bad and don't resist a simple knife. Mind you, if that's the case, at least you have some evidence that you were robbed. When it comes to passports, it's probably best to keep them on you. I have a pouch that goes around my neck (and I put it under my shirt), probably the safest place to keep it hidden and on your per…

I have done that in the past. I just reached a point where honestly I felt like the hassle of using a hidden pocket all the time just wasn't worth it.

I generally have a nice hard case wheeled suitcase for my luggage, I bike cable that to something immovable and inside I tether the pacsafe to one of the rails where the suitcase handle runs.

It's enough peace of mind for me. 99% of casual theft isn't going to try and open the bag, if they do then they have to deal with the pacsafe.

If someone is absolutely determined then they'll get through all that of course, but as you say, you will know it's happened and the police are going to get involved. The number of thieves realistically willing to do that ain't going to be that high because the payoff of what might be in there is unknown.

I travelled continuously for a year at one point and this strat served me well enough.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#93

Post by mcculley »

esperent wrote: post #3

Kind of cool to read but these are not any tips that a normal (non-paranoid) person will need to follow unless they are traveling to some seriously dangerous locations. Except maybe the tip not to use the hotel safe or leave money under the mattress, those are good. But do normal people really need to write their name down on pieces of paper and pass them across the desk with a wink to avoid their name being said out…

> But do normal people really need to write their name down on pieces of paper and pass them across the desk with a wink to avoid their name being said out loud?

Every time I check into a hotel, I have my ID and credit card ready to hand to the clerk. They are going to ask for it anyway. I don’t bother with them asking for my name and spelling it wrong when looking up the reservation.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#94

Post by nextlevelwizard »

Scoundreller wrote: post #74
nextlevelwizard wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>What are you getting kept from by doing it? A dozen extra minutes of terrible hotel TV? I don't go to a hotel to be in my room. If I am traveling there is a reason to do so. All in all I think this paranoid fear of hotels and travel is something specific to US. I've never had issues with security in a hotel or even given it a a thought. In normal world you don't need to worry about this kind of stuff. My biggest wor…

> My biggest worry in hotel rooms these days is how to rig the A/C to stay on while I'm out. Heated blanket on the thermostat? Or do they have timed-shutoffs or door-key based systems that cuts off the electricity when you leave? What do you do then?

Most of them just have a slot for your room key to turn on the electricity and/or A/C, but many times it is a physical which i.e. it doesn't care what gets stuffed into the hole and often there is some kind of brochure that can be folded/ripped into card shape to trip the switch.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#95

Post by dsr_ »

xtajv wrote: post #65
nextlevelwizard wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How often does this happen? Once in a life time? This is the kind of stuff that makes you go nutty. Of course you _can_ try to prepare for everything and anything, but does it actually make sense to worry about being in a flash flood like that? I doubt it.

"I don't have to worry about $PARTICULAR_DISASTER_SCENARIO because I've already precomputed a strategy for that scenario by ruminating about it." != "I don't have to worry about $PARTICULAR_DISASTER_SCENARIO because I'm generally organized and well-situated above a certain threshold: If you picked a random disaster scenario $x out of a hat, chances are pretty good that I'd already be equipped to handle it." P.S. Not…

Those are both reasonable attitudes.

Once you've actually successfully navigated any particular disaster scenario, you will try to avoid situations that look like they could contribute to a repeat. My wife once had a laptop stolen out of the trunk of a car; she is now hyperaware of where and how she parks and what is visible through the windows.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#96

Post by durnygbur »

The funniest and most obnoxious situation is seeing in perfectly safe country self-obsessed Americans, behaving as if they are some secret agents, extraordinary targets, vulnerable treasure, and as they look at everyone with suspicious disgust. Additional tip - wear black suit and Oakley sunglasses, in every circumstances.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#97

Post by vertis »

xtajv wrote: post #65
nextlevelwizard wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How often does this happen? Once in a life time? This is the kind of stuff that makes you go nutty. Of course you _can_ try to prepare for everything and anything, but does it actually make sense to worry about being in a flash flood like that? I doubt it.

"I don't have to worry about $PARTICULAR_DISASTER_SCENARIO because I've already precomputed a strategy for that scenario by ruminating about it." != "I don't have to worry about $PARTICULAR_DISASTER_SCENARIO because I'm generally organized and well-situated above a certain threshold: If you picked a random disaster scenario $x out of a hat, chances are pretty good that I'd already be equipped to handle it." P.S. Not…

Indeed, big companies often do disaster prepareness exercises from a business continuity point of view. I remember doing one 15 years ago at a Big 4 accounting firm. Failing everything (including my little bit) across to secondary site in another city, and it had to be done by someone other than me (since I was the main person responsible for my system).

As they say, you should always check you can restore your backups.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#98

Post by Cthulhu_ »

threatofrain wrote: post #9

The most interesting advice here is to leave the TV on with a do-not-disturb sign. I think people will be less likely to rob you that way. All the other advice is kind of whatever, like not being on the top floor in case someone is sweeping for you floor-by-floor.

Yeah, it make it seem like someone's present, so thieves of opportunity will pass you by. It works at home too.

The floor thing is twofold; one, a lot of hotel ground floors are quite busy with passers-by, higher floors should only have guests and occasional staff. But the author also mentions that fire ladders can still reach the 2nd or 3rd floor; if you're higher up, you have to be able to go down first. You're cornered if you're on the top floor.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#99

Post by Cthulhu_ »

ev1 wrote: post #10
Loranubi wrote: post #8

Who are these tips for? I value my privacy and safety, but for tourists or normal business travelers these seem paranoid.

As a normal business traveler I have been in more than one "smoke filling up hallway" situation and found fire exits locked or barricaded to prevent ingress. I think a LOT of this is reasonable. The "know your area before you step out and don't look like a confused person standing in the middle of the street when you exit the hotel" part is also really good for not being immediately marked as a tourist.

And it's relevant for pretty much every major city, "third world" or otherwise; don't look like a confused tourist too much.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#100

Post by imdsm »

shapefrog wrote: post #75
Scoundreller wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is why I order room service and throw it away in front of them. Really sends the message to back-off: I’m either crazy or multiple steps ahead of them. /s

I make them eat it infront of me then and there - that way they are either dead or know not to try to poison me.

This is why I no longer work in room service delivery.
Post reply on HN