Caesars paid millions in ransom to cybercrime group prior to MGM hack

[crimsonaudio]

There have now been two highly disruptive attacks on the gaming industry in a matter of weeks. Caesars reported its incident in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing Thursday morning. The 8-K report, similar to one filed by MGM Resorts on Wednesday, acknowledges the hack as a material event.

The cybercrime group demanded a $30 million ransom from Caesars, but the company ultimately agreed to pay about half that, sources said. The costs will be partially mitigated by Caesars’ cyber insurance policies.

Caesars paid millions in ransom to cybercrime group prior to MGM hack

 

[Jon]

Caesars paid millions in ransom to cybercrime group prior to MGM hack

happens WAY more than most know. Most companies simply pay and hide it.

 

[CrimsonJazz]

Fifteen million bucks!! I should have paid more attention in my computer classes back in the day.

 

[twofbyc]

It would stop if they ever started tracking bitcoin. Dollars are traceable; I don’t have any doubt this was known by those who created it.
Maybe there’s no way to track it, in which case, sooner or later we’ll all feel the after effects.

 

[crimsonaudio]

It would stop if they ever started tracking bitcoin. Dollars are traceable; I don’t have any doubt this was known by those who created it.
Maybe there’s no way to track it, in which case, sooner or later we’ll all feel the after effects.

It would also stop if these companies just spent the ransom money on some wet work.

 

[Jon]

It would also stop if these companies just spent the ransom money on some wet work.

or training and the right security tools

trust me as someone who sells them, no one wants to buy before they have an incident, then they all wish they had

 

[crimsonaudio]

or training and the right security tools

trust me as someone who sells them, no one wants to buy before they have an incident, then they all wish they had

Solid answer.

But the wet work means fewer future victims.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

or training and the right security tools

trust me as someone who sells them, no one wants to buy before they have an incident, then they all wish they had

I have multiple layers of defense. OTOH, I almost fell hook, line and sinker for a social engineering phish. I received an email from Comcast about a declined credit card. Within a week prior, I had received a totally legit email about the same problem. I followed the link without inspecting it, which I would normally never do. The Regions site looked perfect. It asked for the bank account number backing up the card. I entered it. It had a block asking for my PIN. I thought that they didn't need that and didn't fill it in. A message came back "You must enter your PIN." At that point, I woke up. I called the 800 # and canceled the card. Then, I dug under for the real url. It was a Finnish company, specializing in sports clothing for World Cup skiing and Formula One racing. I emailed them about the spoof but never heard back...

 

[Jon]

I have multiple layers of defense. OTOH, I almost fell hook, line and sinker for a social engineering phish. I received an email from Comcast about a declined credit card. Within a week prior, I had received a totally legit email about the same problem. I followed the link without inspecting it, which I would normally never do. The Regions site looked perfect. It asked for the bank account number backing up the card. I entered it. It had a block asking for my PIN. I thought that they didn't need that and didn't fill it in. A message came back "You must enter your PIN." At that point, I woke up. I called the 800 # and canceled the card. Then, I dug under for the real url. It was a Finnish company, specializing in sports clothing for World Cup skiing and Formula One racing. I emailed them about the spoof but never heard back...

they are getting more and more clever. Best bet is never follow an email link. You get a message from your bank, phone provider, credit card, whatever don't bother with the email look up the 800 number on a browser and call. If it is legit it won't matter how you connect with them

 

[TIDE-HSV]

they are getting more and more clever. Best bet is never follow an email link. You get a message from your bank, phone provider, credit card, whatever don't bother with the email look up the 800 number on a browser and call. If it is legit it won't matter how you connect with them

I do that routinely. The incident I described happened many years ago, in a less dangerous time than today. I have, a number of times, discouraged older friends from getting a computer and on to the net because I feared that they wouldn't know how to protect themselves...

 

[Jon]

I do that routinely. The incident I described happened many years ago, in a less dangerous time than today. I have, a number of times, discouraged older friends from getting a computer and on to the net because I feared that they wouldn't know how to protect themselves...

my dad started selling computers in 1971 and by 2020 I assumed that close to 50 years of IT related work would inoculate him from these scams. It did not. He got hit by a Norton scam. Got an email telling him that Norton was about to charge his credit card $400 for a subscription and ended with him at Kroger buying $1000 worth of Apple Gift cards. Fortunately my Mom called me and I called the Kroger customer service desk and they stopped him.

 

[2003TIDE]

It would stop if they ever started tracking bitcoin. Dollars are traceable; I don’t have any doubt this was known by those who created it.
Maybe there’s no way to track it, in which case, sooner or later we’ll all feel the after effects.

They do track bitcoin. FBI did it with the colonial pipeline ransom.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

my dad started selling computers in 1971 and by 2020 I assumed that close to 50 years of IT related work would inoculate him from these scams. It did not. He got hit by a Norton scam. Got an email telling him that Norton was about to charge his credit card $400 for a subscription and ended with him at Kroger buying $1000 worth of Apple Gift cards. Fortunately my Mom called me and I called the Kroger customer service desk and they stopped him.

I get a number of those every week, probably because my email has been public so long. That, and like the phone scams, they target the elderly. Usually, if I'm unsure enough that it may be legit, when they hear my voice, they just hang up, because I don't sound elderly. I blister the ears of those who try to plow ahead with their scam...