MGM Resorts shuts down online systems after cyberattack
- Sam Sabin, author of Axios Codebook
The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in February 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
MGM Resorts International said Monday that it's responding to a "cybersecurity issue" that prompted the company to take down some of its systems.
Why it matters: MGM operates hotels across the United States, and news reports and social media posts suggest guests are now having issues getting back into their rooms and that some slot machines and ATMS are offline.
- MGM runs some of the most well-known Vegas hotel brands, including the Bellagio, Mandalay Bay and Excalibur.
What they're saying: "MGM Resorts recently identified a cybersecurity issue affecting some of the Company's systems," the company wrote in an online post.
- "Promptly after detecting the issue, we quickly began an investigation with assistance from leading external cybersecurity experts."
Details: Alongside room keys and slot machines, the cyberattack also took down the websites for several MGM properties. Visitors are now being directed to a list of phone numbers for affected properties to call instead.
- The MGM Rewards App, where guests can access their digital room keys and trip information, is also offline as of Monday evening, Axios confirmed.
- MGM did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment, but it's also unclear if employees currently have access to their internal systems.
Between the lines: It remains unclear how long it will take MGM to bring its systems back online and how hackers were able to infiltrate the company's networks.
- It often can take days or weeks for companies to determine the full extent of a cyberattack on their networks.