MGM got hacked!
Caesar’s (CZR) got hacked last month and reported paid tens of Millions of Dollars to “Scattered Spider” and/or “UNC 3944” – US and UK hacker groups, who have previously targeted telecommunications and business process outsourcing companies, according to Bloomberg. The hackers started targeting Caesars as early as Aug. 27, according to the people. The group had also demanded a ransom from MGM, while the casino operator’s systems stayed paralyzed FOR A THIRD DAY! Scattered Spider may have worked with ALPHV on the MGM hack, the report said, citing sources.
I know you are thinking “Phil – why are you throwing all these new names at me?” Well, think of them as very successful startups in the hot new sector called Corporate Hacking. The MGM cyber attack occurred on September 11, 2023, when the company detected a “cybersecurity issue” that affected some of its systems. The company shut down certain systems to protect its data and began an investigation with external cybersecurity experts.
The cyber attack disrupted the operations of MGM’s properties across the U.S., including its Website, Corporate Email, Restaurant Reservation, Hotel Booking, and Digital Room Key Systems. Some guests reported that they were unable to charge purchases to their rooms or use their credit cards at the casinos.
The hackers stole a large amount of data from Caesars, including Customer and Employee Information, Financial Records, and Internal Documents. They also encrypted some of Caesars’ systems with ransomware, locking them out of their own data. They demanded a ransom from Caesars in exchange for the decryption key and the deletion of the stolen data.
CZR seems to have paid to stop the leak and MGM is rumored to be doing the same but that’s YOUR data they have hacked if you’ve visited those properties or played poker on-line or engaged in sports betting – all that very personal financial data you share with them so you can play games is now in play on the dark web!
