MGM Resorts faced a cybersecurity problem, leading to the shutdown of multiple systems. The company released a statement addressing the issue, apologizing for the website disruption, and providing concierge phone numbers for various locations.
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 11: Todd Matthews (L) and Emily Matthews, both of Georgia, play a slot machine at Excalibur Hotel & Casino after the Las Vegas Strip property opened for the first time since being closed in mid-March because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on June 11, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Facing Cybersecurity Challenge
An apparent cybersecurity problem has compelled MGM Resorts, the renowned hotel and casino company, to initiate a shutdown of several of its systems. The Verge reported that company issued a statement just prior to noon ET on X regarding the situation.
MGM temporarily replaced its homepage with an apology message for the website's disruption, along with a listing of concierge phone numbers for various locations, including the Aria, The Cosmopolitan, Mandalay Bay, Bellagio, New York-New York, and Vdara.
As per the statement, "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."
Affecting Establishments Outside Vegas
An insider familiar with the situation informed TechCrunch that the incident has impacted all of MGM's properties, both in Las Vegas and beyond. This includes regional resorts such as MGM Springfield in Massachusetts, MGM National Harbor, and the Empire City Casino in New York, all of which were offline at the time of this report.
Critical information regarding the incident, including the type of cyberattack and whether data has been compromised, remains undisclosed. The timeline for when MGM anticipates the restoration of its computer systems also remains uncertain.
Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City, operated by MGM, was also impacted by this incident, although specific details about the attack remain undisclosed. The MGM Grand Detroit Casino is another affected site, with reports suggesting that while casino games continue to operate, digital keys and MGM's rewards program are currently unavailable.
Addressing the Issue
The FBI is actively conducting an investigation into the matter and has been in communication with MGM since Sunday. According to a report from Bloomberg, hotel guests faced difficulties in accessing ATMs, making food purchases, and utilizing their digital room keys.
Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department acknowledged their awareness of the incident but emphasized that such cases are typically under the jurisdiction of federal law enforcement agencies.
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MGM Resorts faced a cybersecurity incident just last year, involving exposure of personal information from over 140 million guests on the messaging platform Telegram. ZDNET reported that the compromised data encompassed guests' complete identities, postal addresses, email addresses, contact numbers, birthdates, passport and driver's license details.
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