MGM Resorts is confirming that a “limited number” of customer Social Security Numbers (SSNs) were compromised during a recent cyber attack that had a severe effect on the company’s daily operations. The admission that that most sensitive piece of US customer data was breached comes in the wake of a post-attack investigation launched in an effort to asses damage and prevent similar attacks in the future.
The attack itself occurred on September 9 and left MGM Resorts across the US in a state of disarray. After breaching MGM Resorts’ systems, hackers took out everything from slot machines to electronic room locks. The biggest prize for any hacker is, of course, sensitive personal information that can be sold to other hackers or used to commit other crimes.
Though MGM Resorts hasn’t said how many customers were impacted by the attack, they have admitted that some personal contact information such as names, emails and drivers license numbers were accessed in the attack. Company officials said that the number of players whose SSNs were stolen was “limited” (though that would be small comfort to anyone whose SSN was actually stolen).
In a press release addressing the attack an MGM spokesperson addressed the steps the company is taking to help impacted customers saying, “MGM Resorts is notifying relevant customers by email as required by applicable law and has arranged to provide those customers with credit monitoring and identity protection services at no cost to them. Individuals who receive an email from MGM Resorts about this issue should refer to that email for additional information and instructions for enrolling in these services.”
MGM Resorts customers who believe they may have been impacted by the cyber attack are urged to contact a hotline that’s been set up specifically to address this issue at8 00-621-9437.