Ransom Rebels! MGM Hackers Waited For Days Before Issuing Financial Demands: Report

MGM Resorts International's MGM Chief Executive Officer, Bill Hornbuckle, reportedly snubbed hackers' ransom demands after they infiltrated the casino chain's computer system, primarily because their monetary request didn't roll in until after the company had unearthed the cyberattack.

The hackers moved through MGM's systems for days before sending a ransom note, Hornbuckle told Bloomberg in an interview, without disclosing the amount of the ransom demand.

Hornbuckle chose not to respond to the hackers, the news report mentions, adding that the company had already begun rebuilding systems that were pulled offline.

"I'd love to tell you there was this, you know, 'a jump on a white horse moment and devil be damned — we're not paying these bastards,'" Hornbuckle told Bloomberg. "The reality is because we caught this so early and we were on them."

Also Read: Detroit's Casino Showdown: Workers Roll the Dice On A Strike Amid Industry Turmoil

MGM, the reigning heavyweight of casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, estimates the digital heist was ignited on the sultry evening of Sept. 7, the report read. 

The company tried to slam the virtual doors shut before the cyber marauders could plunder any data, but they ultimately infiltrated the critical "corporate Domain Name System (DNS) layer," mentioned the report. 

Scattered Spider, a nebulous crew of young men weaving their webs from the U.S. and the U.K., is suspected by the cunning minds of cyber-security experts to be behind the MGM attack, as well as orchestrating a parallel digital invasion at their rival, Caesars Entertainment, Inc. CZR.

Last week, MGM disclosed in a regulatory filing that it estimates a negative impact of approximately $100 million to Adjusted Property EBITDAR for the Las Vegas Strip Resorts and Regional Operations, collectively.

After the MGM attack, Caesars reportedly paid a ransom worth millions to hackers. 

Related: Casino Giants Face Cybersecurity Crisis: Caesars Entertainment Falls Prey To Hackers Post-MGM Attack

Price Action: MGM shares are trading higher by 0.70% to $37.65 premarket on the last check Wednesday.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.