After hacker group, Scattered Spider, used social engineering to inflict a scathing cyberattack on one of the largest casino companies in the world last August, the effects of the aftermath are still being felt by both Caesars customers, and members of other online casinos worldwide.
What Happened?
In August, experienced hackers gained access to the Caesars company network by successfully impersonating an employee. After finding their personal information on the LinkedIn networking platform, the attackers reached out to the company’s IT help desk to demand a password change.
Thinking the hacker group was the employee in question, the help desk granted this change and the hackers immediately gained access to the system.
After discovering the hack, the entertainment giant was met with a hefty demand of $30 million for the group to relinquish control of the database. In the end, Caesars ended up paying just part of the total ransom fee – $15 million – to regain control of their system.
The Effect On The Online Casino Industry
Cyberattacks like these are massive news for the online casino industry. Especially when they happen to big-league giants like Caesars.
The Caesar’s cyberattack served as a wake-up call for the online casino industry, emphasizing the importance of cybersecurity and the need for continuous efforts to protect customer data and maintain trust in the online gambling sector.
The cyberattack also made customers suddenly wary of how they shared their sensitive information with online casino platforms like these. Many customers started looking into more secure alternative payment options at online casinos, like using cryptocurrencies to gamble.
With advanced security measures to protect user funds and personal information, it’s significantly harder for hackers to gain unauthorized access to these casinos’ systems.
What Information Can Hackers Gain From Cyberattacks Like These?
In this August attack, the hacker group gained access to data from members of its customer rewards program, including social security and driver’s license numbers. However, if hackers gain access to any casino database, they can potentially obtain a wide range of sensitive information such as names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.
There’s also the chance hackers can get their hands on important financial data. Gaining information like credit card numbers, bank account details and transaction history is the first step in undertaking identity theft, financial fraud and phishing scams.
Hackers may also target employee data, including payroll information, social security numbers and employment records. This can lead to potential identity theft and financial harm for the employees.
