Suspected MGM Resorts Hacker Arrested in Spain: Report

Posted on: June 21, 2024, 04:31h. 

Last updated on: June 21, 2024, 09:06h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A 22-year-old UK national accused of playing a major role in last year’s hacking of MGM Resorts International was apprehended recently in Spain.

A representation of Scattered Spider
A representation of Scattered Spider, pictured above. A suspect accused of links to the hacking group was arrested in Spain. (Image: BleepingComputer)

He’s allegedly tied into the Scattered Spider hacking group and also is suspected of taking part in the hacking of Caesars Entertainment, as well as other high-profile company hacks.

Media reports have identified him by the alias of “Tyler” or “tylerb.” Tech security publication Krebs on Security named him as Tyler Buchanan of Dundee, Scotland. That identity couldn’t be immediately confirmed. It’s unclear what charges were filed against him.

“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.

The hackers took part in a practice known as SIM-swapping, according to cybersecurity professionals. Hackers using this method are able to steal passwords used in the authentication of accounts. Security professionals also say the hackers used SMS phishing in the attacks.

Spanish Police and the US FBI were investigating the case. Spanish police made the arrest. The case was prepared by the Los Angeles office of the FBI, according to Cybernews.

Krebs also reported that Tyler’s residence was invaded last year by criminals hired by other hacking groups who threatened Tyler and his mother if they didn’t hand over keys to cryptocurrency wallets, the report said. He then fled from Scotland in fear for his safety.

This month’s arrest was a major step in cracking down on high-profile cybercriminals.

Law enforcement has made another major move with this arrest,” Rafe Pilling, director of threat intelligence at Secureworks Counter Threat Unit, was quoted by The Record, a tech publication. “There’s still a long way to go but the blows keep coming for the cyber criminal gangs right now.”

“These groups have long felt untouchable, obfuscated by the complexities of the internet and the anonymity it offers, but the tables are turning,” Pilling explained. “The interesting piece here is that the alleged perpetrators are operating from the UK and US where, unlike with Russian-speaking groups, law enforcement can reach them.”

MGM, Caesars

Last September, MGM Resorts saw a roughly week-long outage of its internal cybersecurity and data systems following a hack carried out by Scattered Spider. MGM didn’t pay money to the hackers, but it faced a $100M hit to its third-quarter earnings and $10M in one-time expenses.

At the time of the MGM attack, Scattered Spider also successfully extorted tens of millions of dollars from Caesars Entertainment, according to Bloomberg News.

Other Hacks

Beyond the casino companies, Scattered Spider has been linked to the hacking of Twilio, LastPass, DoorDash, Mailchimp, and some 130 other organizations over the last couple of years, Krebs reported.

In January, Noah Urban, 19, who authorities claim is also linked to high-profile hacks by Scattered Spider was arrested in Florida. He’s also known by the alias of “King Bob.”

Urban was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, as well as eight counts of wire fraud and five counts of aggravated identity theft.