Summary:
- Systems were shut down to stop the issue.
- Patrons were told to call directly for hotel reservations.
- The investigation is ongoing, but MGM is operational.
On Monday, MGM Resorts International was busy behind the scenes trying to repair a major cybersecurity issue. The incident is not being called a cyberattack, but credit card transactions and other systems in the hotel and casino properties were affected. So much so that the computer systems which include slot machines had to be shut down for some time.
Online Systems Were Down
Visitors to MGM Resorts International properties were told to use the telephone and call properties to make a hotel reservation as a cybersecurity issue was affecting the operations. The company email was also down, so they had to use a Gmail address to reach out to patrons and the media.
After the issue was detected, MGM began investigating and utilizing external cybersecurity experts. Law enforcement was also notified of the problem. Action was taken to protect the data and systems of the company, including a shutdown of individual systems.
The investigation is ongoing, and the company is trying to determine the nature of the cyber problems. It is unclear if it was an attack, but we believe it was. Such attacks on casino operators are becoming more prevalent in the United States, with new attacks happening every few months or so. Casino companies must have strong measures in place to protect player information from cyber attackers or face the consequences if subject to an attack.
Moving Forward
MGM Resorts is moving forward and announced late yesterday that the dining, entertainment, and gaming services are operational. They will continue to provide a quality experience, and guests can continue to have access to hotel rooms.
The front desk staff of the company’s properties are ready to help as needed. MGM Resorts stated they appreciated the guests’ patience as they handled this matter. The company was smart in offering manual service during the disruption with computerized services. Most companies rely on computers so much that the entire operation shuts down if the computers go down.
The front desk covered hotel check-ins and guests leaving. A physical key could be used for opening hotel room doors if a digital key no longer worked. Dining reservations were made by calling the restaurants for assistance.
The casino operator was ready for such an incident as this has happened before. In 2019, MGM was hit by a cyber-attack when its cloud server was hacked. The guest’s driver’s license information and passport details were taken. Hackers conducted a data breach that took information from over 10 million people. MGM was part of the hack, and around 52,000 individuals were affected via its properties.
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