A 17-year-old British youth has been captured by authorities on suspicions of involvement with a cybercrime syndicate that executed damaging ransomware assaults last year on MGM Resorts and other corporations.
In the previous September, the well-known hotel and casino group MGM Resorts encountered a cybersecurity breach that led to long queues for hotel check-ins, residents facing room entry challenges, disruption of ATM services, and the shutdown of websites, TV broadcasts, and telephone networks.
During that time, MGM Resorts acknowledged that all its establishments in Las Vegas, including Aria, Bellagio, Luxor, MGM Grand, and Mandalay Bay, were affected.
Social media users recounted their experiences within a paralyzed casino, courtesy of the hackers.
It wasn’t until 10 days later that MGM Resorts declared a return to “regular operations,” eventually admitting that hackers had infiltrated guest data, including names, contact details, gender, birthdates, driver’s license numbers, passport information, and even Social Security numbers.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the hackers had deceived MGM’s IT support staff by masquerading as an employee locked out of their account over the phone, thereby obtaining login credentials to execute the ransomware assault.
The total financial impact on MGM Resorts has been estimated at more than US $100 million, as indicated.
Recently, the 17-year-old individual nabbed in Walsall, England, was detained in a collaborative operation involving West Midlands Police and the FBI for suspected involvement with the “Scattered Spider” hacker entity. Initially, the youth was taken into custody on suspicion of extortion and violations related to the Computer Misuse Act, according to a communication from the Regional Organised Crime Unit for the West Midlands (ROCUWM).
According to Detective Inspector Hinesh Mehta, Manager of the Cyber Crime Unit at ROCUWM, “This detention follows a convoluted investigation that stretches across international borders, including the U.S. We’ve collaborated closely with the National Crime Agency and the FBI.” He added, “These hacker groups have targeted prominent entities with ransomware, successfully extorting vast sums of money from multiple victims worldwide. We are resolute in our commitment to track down these offenders. The risk is simply not worth it.”
MGM Resorts has extended its gratitude to law enforcement for their efforts in identifying and apprehending alleged perpetrators of the assault, emphasizing their firm stance against ransom payments.
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