British Teen Arrested for Alleged Role in MGM Resorts Hacking
According to officials, a 17-year-old teenager from Walsall, England was arrested last week for his involvement in the hacking of MGM Resorts International and other major corporations.
On Thursday, the unidentified suspect was taken into custody on charges of extortion and violating the UK Computer Misuse Act.
According to authorities, he allegedly utilized ransomware to get unauthorized access to computer networks.
It was unclear if the teenager was involved in the well-known hacking scheme against MGM Resorts that happened in September of last year.
Digital Equipment Taken Prisoner
During the teen's home search, cops discovered a number of electronic gadgets. They are going to be taken to a lab to be examined forensically.
After securing bail, the teenager was sent free.
The West Midlands Police, the FBI, and the UK National Crime Agency collaborated on the investigation.
The Regional Organized Crime Unit for the West Midlands Region (ROCUWM) was also present. The UK region of the West Midlands is home to Walsall.
These cyber groups have targeted well known organizations with ransomware and they have successfully targeted multiple victims around the world taking from them significant amounts of money,” Detective Inspector Hinesh Mehta, cybercrime unit manager at ROCUWM, said in a statement.
“We want to send out a clear message that we will find you. It’s simply not worth it,” Mehta warned.
He described the inquiry as “complex investigation which stretches overseas to America.”
Bryan Vorndran, assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, added that the FBI “in coordination with its partners, will continue to relentlessly pursue malicious actors who target American companies, no matter where they may be located or how sophisticated their techniques are.”
In still another statement, MGM Resorts said it assisted law enforcement “in locating and arresting one of the alleged criminals responsible for the cyberattack against MGM Resorts and many others.”
We know first-hand the damage these criminals can do, and the importance of working with law enforcement to fight back,” the MGM statement added. “By voluntarily shutting down our systems, refusing to pay a ransom and working with law enforcement on their investigation and response, the message to criminals was clear: it’s not worth it.”
Also, in a statement from Microsoft, that company warned cybercriminals “there will be consequences for your actions.”
As this outcome shows, we have greater impact when we come together to fight cybercrime.”
Previous Detentions
It was also revealed last month that a 22-year-old citizen of the United Kingdom who was allegedly involved in the MGM Resorts hacking was captured in Spain.
He is suspected of participating in the hacking of Caesars Entertainment and other well-known companies. He is purportedly connected to the hacking group Scattered Spider.
According to media sources, he goes by the alias "Tyler" or "tylerb." The tech security publication Krebs on Security identified him as Dundee, Scotland-based Tyler Buchanan. It was not possible to instantly verify that identity. What accusations were made against him are unknown.
“Tyler” was arrested as he was boarding a plane from Palme, Spain that was heading to Italy, according to Murcia Today, a Spanish news outlet. He was also linked to the theft of $27M in Bitcoin from corporate accounts, according to news reports.
Noah Urban, 19, was detained in Florida in January. According to the authorities, he is also connected to well-known hacks carried out by Scattered Spider. Another name for him is "King Bob."
In addition to eight charges of wire fraud and five counts of aggravated identity theft, Urban was also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Further arrests could be made as part of the ongoing investigation into the MGM Resorts breach.
