MGM hackers waited for days before issuing their ransom demands

An exterior view of Park MGM hotel and casino, after MGM Resorts shut down some computer systems due to a cyber attack in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, on Sept 13, 2023. MGM, the largest owner of casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, estimates the hack began on the evening of Sept 7. — Reuters

MGM Resorts International chief executive officer Bill Hornbuckle chose not pay a ransom to hackers who broke into his casino chain’s computer system because they didn’t ask for money until well after the company discovered the attack.

The intruders moved through MGM’s systems for several days before sending a ransom note, Hornbuckle said in an interview Tuesday. The attack was so far along and the company had already begun rebuilding systems that were pulled offline that Hornbuckle chose to not even respond to the hackers.