UK Businesses under Cyberattack: Previous Cybercrime Group Implicated in MGM and Caesars Casinos Hacks Shifts Focus to UK Companies
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Let's cut to the chase – the cybercriminal crew behind the data breaches sweeping UK retailers is now setting their sights on American companies. Nicknamed Scattered Spider, this infamous hacking outfit has quite the destructive track record, with significant disruptive breaches at US casinos in 2023 and recently, UK retail giants like Marks & Spencer and the Co-Op Group.
Marks & Spencer themselves had to put a halt on online shopping due to this digital attack. Oh, the irony.
Google's Threat Intelligence Group Chief Analyst John Qultquist straight-up told NBC News: "Yep, major American retailers are on this mob's radar. It's just a matter of time before they strike."
Remember the chaos at MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment in 2023? Scattered Spider's fingerprints were all over that mess. During those attacks, some casino floors in Vegas – lovely city, ain't it? – shut down, and guests had trouble accessing their rooms because of wonky keycards.
Caesars Entertainment did manage to dodge a potential shutdown; they just ended up handing over some dough to the hackers to make it all go away. Classy move, right?
The National Retail Federation isn't messing around. Vice President of Retail Technology and Cybersecurity Christian Beckner noted to NBC News: "Hey, US retailers, we know that cybercriminal groups like Scattered Spider are eyeing us, and we've been beefing up our defenses to counter their tactics for the past couple of years."
Now, here's where it gets interesting. Scattered Spider's M.O.? Social engineering, network infiltration, data theft, and ransomware extortion. They're a real bunch of tricksters. And while they're not above causing operational chaos and disrupting online sales, they're selective about shutting down entire operations.
Scattered Spider's whacky tactics? Letting their presence be known during the breach by logging into companies' incident response meetings – pretty bold, right? Imagine crashing a Zoom call just to rub salt in the wound.
And these ain't your average small-time retailers that Scattered Spider's targeting. Major UK players like Harrods, Marks & Spencer, and the Co-op have all fallen victim to their attacks, causing data theft and operational disturbances.
After making a name for themselves in the UK, Scattered Spider's set their sights on the US. Confirmed targets include major American retail chains.
Stay cautious, folks. This cybercrime crew's not showing any signs of slowing down soon. They're expanding their focus and escalating attacks, with the aim of causing as much damage as they can.
- In light of the recent data breaches at UK retailers, the focus of the cybercriminal group Scattered Spider has now shifted to American companies, placing major retailers in the crosshairs.
- Scattered Spider has left a trail of disruption, with significant attacks in 2023 targeting casinos in Las Vegas, a city renowned for its casino-and-gambling industry.
- The National Retail Federation is taking the threat posed by Scattered Spider seriously, with Vice President of Retail Technology and Cybersecurity, Christian Beckner, highlighting the group's escalating tactics in general-news outlets, including crime-and-justice reports.
