MGM Resorts Hacked By ‘Scattered Spider’ And BlackCat Hackers

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MGM Resorts reportedly had their systems hacked by a group of hackers who call themselves the “Scattered Spider” hackers.  A different group called BlackCat has also claimed responsibility. The hackers breached the systems of the $14 billion gaming giant MGM Resorts International, which represents over 30 hotel and gaming venues around the globe, including in Macau, China and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Numerous company systems have been paralyzed for three days straight, and the company reported that they were looking into the incident. Bloomberg additionally reported that Caesars Entertainment, a different casino company, recently fell victim to hackers as well. The Caesars’ hackers reportedly held the company data for ransom, demanding that executives pay a hefty price for the data and privacy of recent customers.

Signage outside the MGM Grand hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, on Friday, July 28, 2023. MGM Resorts International is scheduled to release earnings figures on August 2.
Signage outside the MGM Grand hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, on Friday, July 28, 2023. MGM Resorts International is scheduled to release earnings figures on August 2. Photographer: Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

 

Shares in both companies decreased in value by Wednesday, September 13.  The Scattered Spider group allegedly utilized social engineering to lure system users into giving their login credentials or one-time codes to skip multi-factor authentication, according to security group Crowdstrike.

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Gamers and MGM resortgoers alike are sharing videos of machine outages in the company’s casinos. Slot machines are down nationwide, with gamblers unable to participate in their favorite games.

The lobby and giant aquarium in new MGM casino and hotel, Macau, China.
The lobby and giant aquarium in new MGM casino and hotel, Macau, China. (Photo by: Bob Henry/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

 

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While many anxiously await the hacking to be resolved, some claim that it takes a full 72 hours to get a breach of these proportions under control.

Elsewhere, others joke that the hackers ought to put their skills to more important uses, like erasing the student debt crisis.

Others worry for the fate of Las Vegas vacationers and the city’s economy at large, as much of the city relies on the revenue brought in by tourists and gamblers.

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All resort phones have been reportedly disconnected, despite what a previous MGM statement seemingly confirmed.

MGM most recently announced that they are actively still working to resolve the issue.

The company is yet to confirm how much customer data fell victim to the hacking.

Some urge the company to pay the ransom price in order to save their business, which will likely fall to competitor chains this upcoming weekend unless this is resolved in a timely manner.

MGM has not issued a timeline for their anti-hacking efforts at this time. It is unclear whether international resorts are more or less affected than those in the U.S., though the MGM Macau, China location was named among the affected by the hacking.

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