Russian Hackers Target Casinos to Fund Ukraine War Efforts

Russian hackers are increasing cyber-attacks on casinos to fund the war in Ukraine. David Rees, a cybersecurity expert and executive director at Howden Insurance Brokers, spoke about a recent increase in hackers targeting tribal casinos in particular. David Rees said that the drop in frequency of ransomware attacks was due to Russian hackers finding themselves on the front lines fighting in Ukraine. However, David Rees said that the increase in ransomware attacks is due to Russia needing money to fund the war.

David Rees explained that hackers are not only locking down data but also stealing it at the same time. Kimi Gordy, a partner with the national law firm BakerHostetler, confirmed that ransomware attacks have increased significantly in the last three weeks. Kimi Gordy revealed that there had been seven new attacks against her company’s clients in the last three weeks. Kimi Gordy explained that hackers are not only targeting casinos but also schools, government, and hospitals. Hackers have reportedly accessed tribal cyber-insurance policies to see how much coverage they have in the event of an attack.

In one incredible instance, security was breached via a casino’s fish tank, according to Shawnee Delaney, a former spy and now Vaillance Group CEO. Shawnee Delaney told attendees at the World Game Protection Conference at the Tropicana Las Vegas how the fish tank’s thermometer was connected to the internet, allowing hackers to access the casino’s network.