LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Slot machines were down, key cards didn’t work, and there were payment problems. It was like a scene out of a movie but it was a very real cyberattack that crippled MGM Resort properties in September 2023. Others have also fallen victim including Clark County School District, Caesars Entertainment, and Findlay Automotive, to name a few.
In January 2024, FBI Director Chris Wray warned hackers — motivated by the Chinese government — were targeting U.S. water treatment plants and electrical grids.
Cybersecurity experts were in Las Vegas this past week for the Black Hat convention at Mandalay Bay. The six-day program offered specialized training on how to thwart a cyberattack. Last year, nearly 23,000 people attended.
Preventing cyberattacks is hard because hackers are lured by the big money they can make.
“The cost of cybercrime is $12 trillion a year. That makes cybercrime, the dark web, …