14 Canadian casinos shut down due to cyberattack
As a result of a cyberattack on a major gambling company in Canada, 14 casinos were forced to shut down so that cybersecurity experts could restore information technology systems.
Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, which operates a network of 31 casinos in British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta, faced a “cybersecurity incident” at about 1 p.m. Sunday.
The company said in a press release Monday, “At this time, we have no information indicating that personal data has been compromised. However, we have already notified the appropriate privacy authorities as well as gaming regulators about the incident.”
They also added, “We have brought in outside cyber specialists who work 24/7 to help us restore the information environment. Our top priority is protecting personal data and sensitive information.”
Many players leave personal information just to get no deposit free spins codes. Users are willing to go to great lengths to play for free and do not understand what it may cost them in terms of security.
Due to a glitch in the information environment, all of the company’s locations in Ontario have been closed and according to a press release, will remain closed “in the coming” days.
That includes casinos in various locations such as West Fair County, Clinton, Chatham, Hanover, Point Edward, Sarnia, Woodstock, and Salt Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Wasaga Beach, Innisfil, and Rama Casino near Orillia.
Rob Mitchell, director of communications and public relations for Gateway in Eastern Canada, commented on the casino closures, saying: “We are taking every precaution to ensure proper operations.”
According to Gateway’s Web site, the company has about 7,000 employees, 369 table games, including 30 poker tables, 14,284 slot machines, 95 food service locations, and 564 hotel rooms.
Experts attribute the increase in cyber attacks to Russian hackers. While there is limited information about the attack in Canada, it comes at a time of rising incidents, and experts believe that “bad actors” from Russia are behind many of the attacks on gambling establishments.
David Reece, CEO, and cybersecurity expert at Howden Insurance Brokers, spoke out at the recent Cybersecurity Summit about the rise of hackers targeting tribal casinos in particular.
He noted, “I have to be careful what I say. I’m not saying that all of the ransomware comes from Russia, but a lot of it is connected to Russia.”
He added: “Given the current situation between Russia and Ukraine, the decrease in the frequency of attacks is because Russian hackers who used to carry out ransomware attacks in their offices have found themselves on the front fighting in Ukraine.”
Ries also noted that experts believe Russia’s need for funds to support its war effort is one reason for the rise in cyber attacks.
“If we talk about the reasons for the increase, if they are related to Russia, one of the reasons is Russia’s need to finance its war. This is a view shared by many,” Reece concluded.
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