LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — As Nevada continues to recover from a cyberattack on state networks, a cyber hacker has been arrested in another high-profile case and he’s just a teen. Per FOX5 sources, the teen’s arrest is in relation to the MGM Resorts cyberattack back in 2023 that impacted resorts up and down the Strip. Two days ago, Metro says that teen turned himself in.
Exactly two years ago, mid-September 2023, MGM Resorts was in the midst of a cyberattack. Employees’ paychecks were delayed and slot machines and hotel check-in system were down. MGM said it lost $100 million in the attack that affected several of its properties on the Strip. The company shut down its systems trying to prevent data from being stolen but according to MGM, that did happen. Customers personal information, things like phone numbers, email address, home address, gender, date of birth, and driver’s license, social security and passport numbers, were compromised.
The attack was attributed to a group known by several names:
- “Scattered Spider”
- “Octo Tempest”
- “0ktapus”
An FBI cyber task force, which includes the LVMPD, identified a teenage male as a suspect in the case. They say September 17, 2025, he turned himself into the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center and was booked on a number of charges:
-Three counts of Obtaining and Using Personal Identifying Information of Another Person
-One count of Extortion
-One count of Conspiracy to Commit Extortion
-One count of Unlawful Acts Regarding Computers
According to Metro, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office is now seeking to charge the teen as an adult.
What about the major cyberattack that led to the DMV and other statewide agencies being shut down last month? It is still not fully resolved. Nevada Medicaid, the housing division and DPS all still being impacted.
There have also been two cyberattacks on CCSD. One in fall 2023 leaked confidential student information. It was posted on the dark web. No arrest was ever reported.
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