UPDATE: 8:50 p.m. MGM Resorts posted on its X account (formerly Twitter) the following statement:
“As an update to our previous statement, our resorts, including dining, entertainment and gaming are currently operational, and continue to deliver the experiences for which MGM is known. Our guests remain able to access their hotel rooms and our Front Desk staff is ready to assist our guests as needed. We appreciate your patience.”
UPDATE: Shortly after 8 p.m. MGM Resorts posted on its X account (formerly Twitter) the following statement:
“Dining, entertainment and gaming are currently operational, and continue to deliver the experiences for which MGM is known. Our guests remain able to access their hotel rooms and our Front Desk staff is ready to assist our guests as needed.”
UPDATE: MGM Resorts released an update shortly after 7 p.m. on Monday:
“Our casino gaming floors are operational. We continue to work diligently to resolve this issue.”
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A representative from MGM Resorts International confirmed Monday that a “cybersecurity issue” was affecting some of the systems for the company.
Officials say MGM is working with law enforcement to protect its systems. Specific systems were shut down to protect the company’s data, officials say.
“Promptly after detecting the issue, we quickly began an investigation with assistance from leading external cybersecurity experts,” a statement from MGM Resorts International said Monday.
For their part, officials from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said that they were aware of the incident.
“These types of incidents are typically handled by federal law enforcement agencies,” a LVMPD representative said Monday.
By Monday night, the FBI confirmed to 8 News Now that MGM Resorts had asked for its help in dealing with the cyber security issue.
At midday on Monday, the websites for all MGM Resorts International locations were offline. For those needing to contact the locations, a website with phone numbers for each resort was available.
Many slot machines were non-functional at MGM Resorts property Aria at midday on Monday.
8 News Now spoke with visitors at the Aria casino who voiced some frustration.
“As soon as I tried to put this ticket in it wouldn’t take it,” Lakaisa Bryant said. “Right now we are just sitting around trying to figure things out.”
Some Las Vegas visitors staying at an MGM property told 8newsnow.com that they could not access their hotel rooms Sunday night using digital key cards.
“Haven’t been able to use our key for the parking structure,” Bobby Travis told 8 News Now.
They also added that credit card machines were not functional at property restaurants, making eating at the hotel impossible for the guests.
By Monday evening MGM released an update stating that its resort properties have multiple processes in place that allow them to operate and serve guests manually during time of computer system disruption which is provided below.
- Guests can check into and out of our hotels through the front desk.
- Guests can gain access to their rooms using a physical key if their digital key is inoperative. Physical keys can be obtained at the front desk.
- Guests can obtain dining reservations by calling our restaurants directly during their normal operating hours, or by talking with a property Concierge.
MGM officials have not confirmed that the disabled slot machines or the guests’ issues are related to the cybersecurity issue the company had reported.
8 News Now spoke to 11:11 Systems Chief Strategy Officer Dante Orsini about the common signs they see during cyber attacks.
“What we see most common these days are people are trying to gain access to the organization get as deep and wide in the system as possible encrypt those systems and lock those parent companies out,” Orsini said.
According to experts cyber attacks are most likely financially driven and though recovery is the goal, it is unclear how long it can take.
“Think of it like a DVR right you are trying to go back in time as best you can to the data prior to the attack happening,” he added.
The investigation into the issue is ongoing, officials said. MGM Resorts International manages several Las Vegas properties, including Aria, Bellagio, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas,
Delano Las Vegas, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand Las Vegas, New York-New York, Park MGM, and Vdara.
