Ransomware Attack Brings MGM Resorts to a Standstill: ‘Everything is Down.’

… but not to MGM Resorts hotels.

Over a dozen MGM Resorts International hotels and casinos have been forced to either shut down or significantly curtail operations after a cyberattack on its computer systems, which installed ransomware on Sunday, left the resort chain in perilous shape.

A notice on the MGM Resorts website says that it is “currently unavailable” without stating a reason, and apologizes “for the inconvenience.”  It also points individuals who wish to purchase tickets for shows to external links such as Ticketmaster.

The computer outage impacts all of the company’s Las Vegas properties including the Aira, the Bellagio, the Luxor, the MGM Grand, and the Mandalay Bay.  It is also affecting resorts on the East Coast including those in Massachusetts and New York.

The hotelier is waving all change and cancellation fees through at least September 17, due to the incident.

“MGM Resorts recently identified a cybersecurity issue affecting certain of the company’s systems,” the entertainment company said in a statement.

All computer systems at all properties have been shut down for the foreseeable future until the matter is resolved.

The ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group claimed responsibility for the attack and stated that it took just ten minutes using social engineering to obtain credentials from the company’s help desk in order to access the MGM network, according to a statement by malware archive vx-underground shared on social media.

MGM told Frequent Business Traveler that said it was working with cybersecurity experts to resolve the “cybersecurity issues affecting some of the company’s systems.”

“Promptly after detecting the issue, we began an investigation with assistance from leading external cybersecurity experts. We also notified law enforcement and are taking steps to protect our systems and data, including shutting down certain systems.”

The company said that the investigation is “ongoing.”

The outage has forced hotel restaurants to only accept cash and no room or credit-card charges, current guests at Las Vegas properties are reporting on social media.  Other guests have said that the outage has made it impossible to unlock their rooms using their keycards and that slot machines are also down.

“Everything is down,” one guest, Connor O’Brian, stated in a social media post.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)