17-year-old arrested in England for alleged involvement in MGM Resorts cyberattack

England law enforcement authorities arrested a 17-year-old boy on Thursday in connection with the September cyberattack that disrupted MGM Resorts International for 10 days.

The teenager, who has not been named, was apprehended by the Regional Organised Crime Unit for the West Midlands in Walsall, with assistance from Britain's National Crime Agency, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, and MGM, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

The suspect was released on bond and is under investigation for blackmail and offenses under the Computer Misuse Act. Bryan Vorndran, assistant director of the FBI’s cyber division, stated that the arrest highlights the effectiveness of the FBI's partnerships with domestic, international, and private sector entities.

“The FBI, in coordination with its partners will continue to relentlessly pursue malicious actors who target American companies, no matter where they may be located or how sophisticated their techniques are,” Vorndran said in a release, as per the report.

There has been no confirmation of the suspect's connection to the hacker groups Scattered Spider and ALPHV, which claimed responsibility for the cyberattacks on Caesars Entertainment in August and MGM on September 10.

Caesars reportedly paid a $15 million ransom and experienced minimal disruption, while MGM did not pay a ransom but faced significant operational challenges, leading to an estimated $100 million in losses, much of which was covered by insurance.

British authorities recovered several digital devices from the suspect’s residence, which will undergo forensic examination.

“We’re proud to have assisted law enforcement in locating and arresting one of the alleged criminals responsible for the cyberattack against MGM Resorts and many others,” MGM was quoted in the statement from police.

"We know first-hand the damage these criminals can do and the importance of working with law enforcement to fight back. By voluntarily shutting down our systems, refusing to pay a ransom and working with law enforcement on their investigation and response, the message to criminals was clear: it’s not worth it."

The attack on MGM resulted in several days of computer system failures across its 10 Las Vegas resorts and other locations in the U.S. Credit card transactions, websites, apps, in-casino ATMs, and paid parking systems were all affected. Restaurant and attraction reservations, as well as company email, were offline. Networked slot machines were shut down, and winners had to be paid manually.

“This arrest has been made following a complex investigation which stretches overseas to America. We have been working closely with the National Crime Agency and FBI,” Detective Inspector Hinesh Mehta, cybercrime unit manager at the Regional Organised Crime Unit for the West Midlands in Wallsal, said in a release, as per the report.

"These cyber groups have targeted well-known organizations with ransomware and they have successfully targeted multiple victims around the world taking from them significant amounts of money. We want to send out a clear message that we will find you. It’s simply not worth it."

The alleged mastermind behind the MGM Resorts hacking was arrested in Spain on June 14 in a joint operation by Spanish authorities and the FBI.

The 22-year-old British national, reportedly the leader of the Scattered Spider ransomware group, was apprehended by Spain’s National Police at Palma airport while attempting to board a flight to Naples.