2023 has not been a good year for the North American casino industry, with several big casinos in the region facing hacking attempts, including the heavyweights like MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment.
In order to combat cyberattacks targeting the gaming industry, the FBI recently unveiled a tool for fighting cyberattacks to protect casinos in the North American region. Meanwhile, the Justice Department also started action against the Blackcat ransomware group, which has attacked over 1,000 computer networks globally.
The FBI stated that Blackcat is the second-most active ransomware-as-a-service variant and has received hundreds of millions of dollars paid in ransoms by the victims over the last 18 months.
“Due to the global scale of these crimes, multiple foreign law enforcement agencies are conducting parallel investigations. The FBI developed a decryption tool that allowed FBI field offices across the country and law enforcement partners around the world to offer over 500 affected victims the capability to restore their systems.” the FBI added, highlighting the support and help from the decryption tool.
Saving Millions Of Dollars
The move comes as a response to some in the tech world who questioned federal officials’ ability and efforts at uncovering those responsible for the MGM attacks. With the decryption tool, the Justice Department is now hoping to prevent the occurrence of such attacks and find the culprits.
The FBI is working with dozens of victims in the U.S. and outside to launch this new prevention tool. Their efforts have already saved multiple ransomware victims, preventing a loss of over $68 million.
A disclosed search warrant in Florida shows the FBI’s progress in getting access to Blackcat ransomware group’s computer network and seizing several group-run websites in their investigation.
“In disrupting the Blackcat ransomware group, the Justice Department has once again hacked the hackers,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said. “With a decryption tool provided by the FBI to hundreds of ransomware victims worldwide, businesses and schools were able to reopen, and health care and emergency services were able to come back online. We will continue to prioritize disruptions and place victims at the center of our strategy to dismantle the ecosystem fueling cybercrime.”
Blackcat is suspected in the MGM attack, which led to dysfunction of the company’s computer networks for days. CEO Bill Hornbuckle disclosed that the incident costed them $100 million. The unsealed warrant also highlighted that Blackcat has infiltrated systems even across government facilities, emergency services, defense companies, manufacturing, healthcare facilities, and other sectors. The group has caused global losses amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.
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Source: CardPlayer
