Several MGM Resorts International properties in the US suffered a “cyber security issue” on Monday that caused the gaming giant to temporarily shut down computer systems across the country.
The issue first started on Sunday, the Associated Press reported. The cyberattack is believed to impact properties in Nevada, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York and Ohio. MGM Resorts is the largest casino operator in Las Vegas, where it has some of the best-known resorts on the Las Vegas Strip such as MGM Grand, Bellagio, Cosmopolitan, Aria, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, New York-New York, Excalibur and Park MGM.
The company’s reservation system appears to be down, and the website directs customers to various phone numbers to make a reservation or contact a concierge.
Social media posts indicate that slot machines are out of service, and company emails, reservations and room keys are also affected by the attack.
Online sports betting platform BetMGM’s website in Nevada appeared to be offline Monday afternoon, while the platform’s website in other states, such as Massachusetts, appeared to be functioning normally.
A spokesperson for MGM Resorts did not respond to TPG’s request for comment in time for publication, but the AP noted a company statement saying that “MGM Resorts recently identified a cybersecurity issue affecting some of the company’s systems” and that it has informed law enforcement authorities.
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Cyber attacks are increasing in the travel sector
MGM’s cybersecurity issues are the latest in an increase in cyberattacks on several hotel companies in recent years.
IHG Hotels & Resorts suffered a cyber attack last September that crippled its own computer systems and left residual problems in the loyalty system in the weeks that followed.
A network of cyberattacks in 2021 involved at least 11 global airlines, including United and American in the US, after cybercriminals targeted travel technology provider SITA.
Hilton suffered cyberattacks in 2014 and 2015 that compromised more than 363,000 customer accounts due to credit card data breaches, the BBC reported in 2017.
Perhaps the most famous cyberattack in the hotel industry involved Marriott in 2018, when the data of 500 million guests at Starwood Hotels & Resorts (which Marriott acquired in 2016) was breached in one of the largest data security breaches of all time. Marriott suffered significantly smaller data breaches in 2020 and 2022.
How to protect yourself
It’s still unclear whether MGM’s cybersecurity issue constitutes a data breach, but if it does and you think it could affect you, it’s important to keep an eye on banking and credit card information to avoid any form of identity theft to prevent, McAfee reports. .
Change your online passwords and look into credit monitoring.
The computer security software provider also notes that you should place a fraud alert with one of the major credit agencies (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion), and they will notify the other two.