By: Deena Mackley

Cyber attacks have once again made headlines in New York state, with multiple entities falling victim to malicious digital incursions over the weekend, NY Post reported

The state’s casino operations, including the central system serving its slot parlors, were targeted, leading to the temporary closure of Jake 58 casino in Islandia, Suffolk County.

The New York State Gaming Commission acknowledged the cyber attack, which occurred on October 17, 2023. The incident affected Everi, the licensed operator of New York’s video lottery gaming central system. Although the attack is under investigation, there is no indication that personal identifiable information was compromised. The commission is closely monitoring the situation.

Additionally, two hospitals in the Hudson Valley, HealthAlliance Hospital and Margaretville Hospital, faced their own cybersecurity challenges during the same period. These incidents forced them to divert patients to other facilities, a disruption that impacted the Mountainside nursing home as well. The Westchester Medical Center Health Network, responsible for overseeing these medical facilities, ensured that the two hospitals remained open during this diversion. Walk-in patients received the necessary medical attention and were either released or stabilized.

To address the cyber threat and fully restore network security, the IT experts at HealthAlliance Hospital, Margaretville Hospital, and Mountainside Residential Care Center temporarily shut down all connected IT systems on October 20. They then initiated the process of rebuilding their IT infrastructure, a task that is still ongoing but has already regained essential capabilities to resume full operations.

Josh Ratner, the chief strategy officer of WMCHealth, commended the dedicated efforts of the medical personnel and staff who worked tirelessly to overcome this challenging situation. He also emphasized the collaborative strength of the WMCHealth Network, involving hospitals, physicians, nurses, and administrators from across the network to provide the best possible care for their community’s patients.

Notably, the previous year saw a similar incident when the One Brooklyn Health system, overseeing hospitals such as Brookdale, Interfaith, and Kingsbrook Jewish hospitals, fell victim to a cyber attack. These hospitals are crucial as they serve the city’s most vulnerable and receive substantial state subsidies. The attack exposed medical records, leading to a class-action negligence lawsuit against One Brooklyn filed by a patient in April.

This incident underscores the growing threat of cyber attacks, not only affecting healthcare institutions but also targeting critical infrastructure such as casinos. It serves as a stark reminder of the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data and ensure the continuity of essential services.

MGM Resorts, the victim of a recent cyberattack, reported a $100 million loss in an SEC filing. The attack, which impacted prominent casinos like Bellagio and Mandalay Bay, forced the company to shut down various services to protect customer information. The fallout included issues with hotel key cards, employee email access, and restricted access to MGM casino slot machines. In contrast, rival Caesars Entertainment, which faced a similar hack, suggested in its SEC filing that it may have paid the hackers to cease their activities.

This incident highlights the substantial financial consequences of significant cyberattacks on major corporations.

Cyber attacks are a pervasive issue, with statistics showing a significant increase in recent years. In 2020, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 791,790 cybercrime complaints, representing a 69.4% increase compared to the previous year. These attacks vary in scope and impact, affecting individuals, businesses, and government entities alike.