Las Vegas among potential targets for pro-Iranian cyberattacks, DHS warns
Las Vegas among potential targets for pro-Iranian cyberattacks, DHS warns
The Department of Homeland Security has identified Las Vegas as one of the U.S. cities that could be targeted by pro-Iranian hackers aiming to disrupt infrastructure.
This warning comes amid concerns of potential cyberattacks similar to those experienced in the past.
In 2014, the Las Vegas Sands Corporation suffered a destructive cyberattack that wiped computers and crippled the company for weeks.
U.S. intelligence officials later attributed the attack to the Iranian government.
More recently, in September 2023, MGM Resorts faced a massive cyberattack, causing significant disruptions and an estimated $100 million in lost revenue.
Caesars Entertainment was also hit with a $15 million ransomware attack shortly after.
Cybersecurity expert Mack Jackson said, "When it first happened, all of us thought that it was state-sponsored terrorism group that done this, but it turns out that it was a hacking group hacked this group called scattered spider."
The hackers were reportedly based in the U.S. and the U.K., aged between 17 and 22.
Jackson emphasized the psychological impact of cyberattacks, stating, "It's the psychological attack on the human element, right? If psychologically, you can cause people not to show up at an event, not to show up to vote, for example, or the misinformation and disinformation, which we've talked about before, that's the new weaponization of these cyber attacks."
Retired FBI Special Agent Aaron Rouse highlighted the role of local, state, and federal law enforcement in countering such threats. "They do an incredibly good job of collating information, doing validation, and then reassigning resources to look into it further," said Rouse.
Jackson concluded by noting the potential widespread impact of cyberattacks, saying, "There's no need to drop a 30-thousand-pound bomb when you can launch a 30-thousand-pound malware attack that could have an impact on people everywhere in the U.S."
