Long-time readers may recall a story in January 2017 about a luxury hotel that reportedly paid extortion to ransomware attackers because guests were locked in their rooms. Some of the story was ultimately considered to be fake news, although the whole scenario initially seemed possible at the time.
Fast forward more than six years and MGM Resorts has been hit, and as part of the consequences of the digital attack, some guests may be having trouble getting into their rooms.
MGM posted a notice on their Twitter account:
MGM Resorts recently identified a cybersecurity issue affecting some of the Company’s systems. Promptly after detecting the issue, we quickly began an investigation with assistance from leading external cybersecurity experts. We also notified law enforcement and took prompt action to protect our systems and data, including shutting down certain systems.
Our investigation is ongoing, and we are working diligently to determine the nature and scope of the matter.
The hack has reportedly affected room reservations, and functions in their casinos like ATMs, slot machines, and credit card machines. The hotel chain’s website is currently down with a statement providing phone numbers to use to make reservations for rooms, events, or member services.
In 2019, MGM Grand guest data was hacked and data was leaked in two separate incidents. The 2019 hack was claimed to be the work of a hacker known as “NSFW,” and some of the controversy about the incident and claims was discussed by DataBreaches in a 2019 article. The current incident appears much more serious, however, than just guests’ contact information like in the 2019 incident.
This attack would be serious enough if it affected functions at MGM’s Las Vegas properties, but The Verge reports that it is also affecting properties in other cities:
The issue isn’t limited to MGM’s Las Vegas locations. NBC 10 News in Philadelphia reports that MGM’s Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City was likewise affected by the attack, though hotel representatives didn’t say how. MGM Grand Detroit Casino is also affected, reports Play Michigan, with an X user posting that the casino “has all games running” but that digital keys and MGM’s rewards program are down.
Expect updates on this incident for the next few years…..