MGM Grand recently experienced issues with its machines and digital keys. The company dismissed it as a simple "cybersecurity issue," but new reports say that it may have been caused by the ALPHV ransomware gang.
Cybersecurity Issue to Cyberattack
What the company previously framed as an internal system complication is now revealed to be a cyberattack from the infamous ALPHV, also known as BlackCat. The hacker group cleverly infiltrated the company's systems in just 10 minutes.
Malware archive vx-underground said that all the hackers had to do to get into the systems was find an MGM Resorts employee through LinkedIn and then call the Help Desk, pointing out that the company worth $33.9 billion was "defeated by a 10-minute conversation.
It appears the Federal Bureau of Investigation was aware of the incident, stating that the attack was still ongoing, as reported by Gizmodo. The company, on the other hand, said that they have already taken immediate steps to resolve the problem.
Previous reports state that it was only the Las Vegas property that was affected by the attack, but updates clarify that locations like Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio were also impacted by the attack.
Cybersecurity company Emsisoft analyst, Brett Callow says that the multibillion-dollar company was "an obvious candidate,", especially since they have money for ransom and they cannot afford a prolonged downtime since it will greatly cost them.
Although vx-underground believes otherwise, saying that MGM will not pay. That is yet to be seen since the company has not released a confirmation about the cyberattack, much less about whether the hacker group has given ransom demands.
MGM Issues
Initial reports state that the MGM Grand took a hit in its casino and hotel. Guests were not able to charge their orders to their rooms or make reservations using their digital keys. There were also problems with the casino's slot machines as they displayed error messages.
MGM's booking website even went offline. The list of disruptions continued to extend to other services like the parking system. The company, in an attempt to prevent the issue from spreading, said that they have shut down certain systems.
They are still investigating the incident and they are "working diligently to determine the nature and scope of the matter," as reported by The New York Times. MGM says that the company will update customers once their systems are fully restored.
Despite the ongoing issue, MGM Resorts released a statement that says that its dining, entertainment, and gaming are operational. The issues with the digital keys for hotel rooms can now be used by guests without problems as well.
MGM has not disclosed the extent of the attack, or whether the ALPHV or BlackCat hacker group managed to steal customer data. If that's the case, then the affected customers might be in trouble especially since the hotels alone hold a lot of sensitive data.
With parking and payments, MGM has a record of its customers' names, addresses, plate numbers, credit or debit card information, and so on. These data, when stolen, could subject their customers to fraudulent activities.
