Operations at MGM Northfield Park look like they are beginning to normalize following a cyberattack that impacted some of its systems. MGM Resorts was the victim of a cyberattack last week, forcing the company to shut down several systems at its 19 U.S. properties.
We are starting to learn more about the attack and the impact it had on MGM’s only Ohio location. Additionally, details about possible perpetrators are coming to light.
MGM Northfield Park website is back online
Unlike most MGM properties, MGM Northfield Park, located in Northfield, Ohio, is a racino. Meaning it only has slot machines and horse racing. Unlike the four Ohio casinos, there aren’t any table games. As a result, the fallout from the cyberattack could’ve been worse for Northfield Park since slot machines were more vulnerable to it.
However, PlayOH was informed last week that Northfield Park was only experiencing minor issues.
According to a customer service representative, most of the problems were minor, adding that there were “some issues with systems from time to time.” One issue that was fixed is that the MGM Northfield Park website is once again fully operational.
Shortly after the data breach, the MGM Northfield Park website went down, as did many MGM-branded websites nationwide. If you tried to access it, the following message appeared: “The MGM Northfield Park website is currently unavailable. For restaurant options and reservations, please download the MGM Rewards App. For tickets, please visit Ticketmaster. Thank you for your patience.”
As of Monday morning, the website is back up and running again. All the tabs are available, and all the links appear to function correctly. Casinos in Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and New York were also having difficulties last week, including not allowing the use of credit cards or accepting hotel reservations.
However, the MGM Northfield Park customer service representative said the venue was not dealing with those problems.
“Everything is functional,” the representative told PlayOhio.
We still don’t know how much this cybersecurity issue has affected Northfield Park. It’s unclear if the personal information of any customers was compromised.
MGM Resorts guests, employees deal with fallout from cyberattack
While MGM Northfield Park suffered some minor setbacks, the same cannot be said for many of MGM’s other properties throughout the country. Particularly in Las Vegas.
A member of the security team at T-Mobile arena, which is co-owned by MGM, says his paycheck was late following the cyberattack. He told Fox 5 Vegas that news of the cyberattack hit employees when they couldn’t access the web service used for scheduling and payroll.
The man says the company said all MGM employees would be paid on schedule. However, as of this past Saturday, the man says he still hasn’t received his check. He also says he knows of at least four employees who haven’t been paid yet.
Meanwhile, guests to some MGM properties are still dealing with some issues. Most slot machines are operating again, but some still inform visitors they’re out of service.
In some locations, guests who win must notify an attendant for a cashout. One guest said it took around an hour for someone to make themselves available to cash them out.
Many of MGM’s locations have signs posted informing visitors of “experiencing unforeseen difficulties.” However, the signs don’t mention cybersecurity issues.
Two separate two cybercrime gangs are claiming responsibility
Exactly who is behind the apparent cyberattack on MGM Northfield Park is unclear. A pair of cybercrime gangs are taking credit for the attack.
Members of the hacking group Scattered Spider told news outlets that they were the ones who first targeted MGM’s networks. However, ransomware gang Alphv, also known as Black Cat, posted a lengthy statement claiming it was responsible.
While Alphv claimed responsibility for the attack, the statement did not address whether Scattered Spider acted as an Alphv affiliate or a group that carried out an attack using ransomware developed by Alphv.
We will not know for sure who targeted MGM until the company or law enforcement gives details about the cyberattack. However, according to experts, both groups are major cybercrime threats.
