Interactive

US – FBI and Secret Service investigate Sands’ hacking

By Phil - 17 February 2014

The FBI and Secret Service are investigating what looks like a politically motivated hacking of the Las Vegas Sands casino company’s websites.

Hackers took control of the company’s corporate site, as well as the websites for the Venetian and Palazzo casinos in Las Vegas, replacing them with a map using flames to depict where Sands casinos were located, a photo of Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson posing with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and a note condemning the use of weapons of mass destruction. Mr. Adelson has been outspoken in his support for Israel, even suggesting that a nuclear bomb should be dropped on Iran as ‘strength was the only thing the country understands.’

As Sands wrestled back control of its sites, it displayed a screen that said it was down for maintenance.

Customers could not make reservations through emails directly to the site but could through third-party sites.

Board chairman A.G. Burnett said that the credit card database of customers at the world’s largest gambling chain is secure, and that the integrity of the gambling systems run by the chain hasn’t been breached

Sands spokesman Ron Reese said: “While we have been able to confirm that certain core operating systems were not impacted by the hacking, the company remains focused on working through a step-by-step process to ascertain what, if any, additional systems may have been impacted.”

The FBI, the Secret Service and the Nevada State Gaming Control Board were all investigating the hacking.