September 13 – On Sunday, a prominent hospitality and entertainment group, MGM Resorts International, reported a “cybersecurity issue” that affected systems and customers alike.

Select systems were temporarily taken offline and reports indicated that there were problems accessing hotel rooms via digital room keys, among other things.

The precise number of people affected by the disruptions hasn’t been made clear. In 2019, MGM experienced a data breach that reportedly affected roughly 10.6 million individuals.

MGM’s security issue

The cyber incident may have been a ransomware attack, according to experts. MGM is a vast conglomerate with troves of data that could be attractive to hackers, who would likely sell it via an online marketplace.

In general, large enterprises are common cyber criminal targets. However, three sectors – utility companies, hospitals and casinos – are particularly frequent focal points, as they face exorbitant amounts of pressure to restore systems quickly.

While MGM Resorts has not disclosed specifics, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I) is involved in incident forensics.

Restoring systems

“Our investigation is ongoing, and we are working diligently to determine the nature and scope of the matter,” MGM Resorts stated via social media.

The company has thanks its guest for their patience. MGM’s resorts, dining, entertainment and gaming facilities are currently operational.

However, while customers can still book hotel rooms, reservations are by-phone only at this time, as the website is down.

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