MGM and Caesars hacked by same cyber attackers

Talk about doubling down.

Scattered Spider did just that over the past few weeks as the cyber hackers compromised the computer systems at MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment, Inc.

However, the two instances take a much different turn following the initial breaches.

Monday morning, MGM Resorts issued a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it “recently identified a cybersecurity issue affecting some of the company’s systems. Promptly after detecting the issue, we began an investigation with assistance from leading external cybersecurity experts. We also notified law enforcement and are taking steps to protect our systems and data, including shutting down certain systems. Our investigation is ongoing, and we are working diligently to resolve the matter.”

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— MGM Resorts (@MGMResortsIntl) September 11, 2023

According to Cybernews and Bloomberg News reports, Scattered Spider, which is also goes by UNC 3944 is known to be comprised of hackers, some as young as 19 years old who are based in the U.S. and U.K., worked with ALPHV/BlackCat to find an MGM employee on LinkedIn before calling the MGM Help Desk to gain access to the company’s system. At that point, the hackers demanded a ransom from MGM, which the company did not pay.

While the MGM ransom amount is not yet known, nor is the fact if the hackers deployed ransomware to lock up the company’s files, the answers might have gotten a little clearer yesterday when news broke of a similar situation at Caesars.

According to reports, Caesars paid $30 million in ransom to the very same hackers within the past few weeks in an effort to avoid the very same fate that MGM is experiencing at the moment.

It is expected that Caesars will disclose the extent of its cyberattack, where according to reports, the hackers first breached an outside IT vendor before gaining access to the company’s network and threatening to release company data, in a regulatory filing in the near future.

In the meantime, it’s business as usual at all Caesars properties, while according to reports, things from the website, reservation system, room keys, slot machines, and credit card machines are still compromised at MGM Resorts across the country.

This morning, MGM Resorts issued a statement on X saying “we continue to work diligently to resolve our cybersecurity issue while addressing individual guest needs promptly. We couldn’t do this without thousands of incredible employees who are committed to guest service and support from our loyal customers. Thank you for your continued patience.”

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— MGM Resorts (@MGMResortsIntl) September 14, 2023