The end of an era, it seems, is coming for plastic key cards, which are used to open hotel rooms, a fact contributed to by the pandemic, combined with increasingly frequent cyber-attacks. They will be replaced by digital options, including Apple Wallet and Google Wallet.
During the pandemic, when touching was taboo, plastic key cards began to be treated with suspicion. This combined with cybersecurity concerns, which make plastic key cards easy prey for hackers, are pushing more and more hotel chains to replace them with secure digital options.
However, security experts warn that even the newest locking methods are not completely reliable, as reported by the US-based CNBC.
“Keyless systems can introduce new security threats for hotels to manage,” said Lee Clark, director at the Retail and Hotel Information Sharing and Analysis Center (RH-ISAC).
While Clark says these threats can be mitigated through security control settings such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), these extra steps can cause customer dissatisfaction. Moreover, according to Clark, it is unlikely that all hotels will replace all key cards with digital lock systems anytime soon, mainly because of the cost.
“Switching to digital lock systems involves significant costs in equipment, installation, maintenance and security,” he said.
Customers continue to choose plastic key cards
Data from J.D. Power’s hotel survey revealed that only 14% of all branded hotel guests used digital keys during their stay. Even guests who downloaded the app on their phone used the plastic key card.
According to the survey, among guests who have the app on their phone, 30% used a digital key and 70% used a plastic card most of the time.
On the other hand, many hotels have not yet installed locks for digital room opening.
Despite the slow adoption of digital options by customers, J.D. Power data showed that keyless customers feel more secure than those using plastic cards.
“Guests who use ‘digital keys’ provide significantly more positive ratings for hotel security, compared to those who did not use digital keys,” said Andrea Stokes, head of the hospitality practice at J.D. Power.
“We all still use passwords, despite glaring security flaws and clumsy user experience. By the same token, keycards are probably here to stay,” said Chad Spensky, CEO of Allthenticate, for his part.
He said the real promise of digital cards is less about security and more about convenience.
“While the card applications are no more secure than their plastic counterparts, the user experience is far superior,” Spensky predicted.
According to him, one of the biggest problems with key cards is that once a vulnerability is discovered there is no easy way to fix it. Whereas, with smartphones patches can be pushed through the air almost instantly.
Mehmet Erdem, professor and chairman of the department of resort, gaming and golf management at the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Las Vegas, warns that no system is secure and that people should not let digital entry create a false sense of security.
“Everything can be hacked,” he stressed.
He added meaningfully: “If someone has the intention to hack, they will.”
