MGM Hotels and Casinos Hit by ‘Cybersecurity Issue,’ Prompting System Shutdown
MGM Resorts International, a chain of casinos and hotels, reported on Monday that parts of its internet systems were being disrupted by a “cybersecurity issue,” especially in Las Vegas, where cybersecurity experts claimed the corporation was probably the target of a widespread cyberattack.
MGM Resorts claimed that law authorities had been alerted, but did not provide further information on the disturbances or say when the problem started or was discovered. The business claimed in a statement that it had “prompt action to protect our systems and data, including shutting down certain systems.”
The company showed some indications of problems, but it did not reply to emails for feedback. In comments posted on a Facebook group, customers said that the company’s website was down Monday evening and that access to hotel rooms at its resorts was problematic.
 An attack on the company’s network is often what is meant by a “cybersecurity issue,” according to Greg Moody, a professor of information systems and cybersecurity at  University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who stated this on Monday.
Dr. Moody, who has collaborated with the corporation and members of its tech team on various projects, speculated that in the instance of MGM, the attacker or attackers may have “found some gap in their armor” and utilized it to knock down the company’s systems.
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Ransomware Attacks
He claimed that hackers frequently carry out such operations in order to get money.
Attackers typically steal data from a firm and keep it hostage until the company agrees to pay a ransom for its release. Attackers will also resell the data they have obtained on a dark web market where buyers are looking for information like names, numbers, or addresses that can be used to commit identity theft.
The increased urgency to return systems back to normal, however, makes three industries common targets of such attacks, according to Dr. Salmon. They are: utility firms, given that customer complaints frequently make the news; hospitals, given that disruptions pose a risk to patients; and casinos, given that customer data breaches could damage their brand.
According to University of Nevada, Las Vegas professor of network security Yoohwan Kim, thieves will occasionally steal data from a large, financially secure organization, demand a ransom for the key to unlock their systems, and then wait for the company to pay.
According to Dr. Salmon, ransom payments can range, but for larger businesses, they are typically in the low hundreds of thousands or low millions.
It may take months or years to recover after a significant cybersecurity attack, according to experts.
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Source: The New York Times
