Cybersecurity Top of Mind as Hackers Meet in Las Vegas

It’s been nearly a year since MGM and Caesars properties were crippled by cybercriminals. And this is also the time of year when hackers and cybersecurity professionals head to Vegas for two big conferences: Black Hat and DefCon.  

Black Hat, at Mandalay Bay Convention Center, ended Thursday. DefCon, with an expected 30,000 attendees, runs through August 11 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Las Vegas law enforcement is taking the opportunity to spread the word to eventgoers about cybersecurity.

“Black Hat and Def Con are known as playgrounds for attackers of all kinds to target the attendees and try out new techniques and tools,” read an advisory from the Las Vegas Metro Police Department.  

In addition, Resorts World, which housed some of the attendees, told guests it would be conducting room inspections.

“In light of recent events in Las Vegas, and the increasing ransomware threats to casinos and hotels on the Strip, all guests staying at our property were notified that starting on Monday, August 5, 2024, and continuing for the next week, we will conduct brief, scheduled, visual, and non-intrusive room inspections daily,” said Resorts World in a statement. “These inspections are a standard practice in many of Las Vegas’ premiere hotels. Particularly during periods of increased foreseeable risk, where vigilance is critical.”

Keeping Info Safe

The LVMPD’s Cyber Investigative Group (CIG) issued tips for keeping info safe particularly when these conferences are in town. Good information for meeting professionals to keep in mind.

Before the conference, the CIG recommends having working firewalls and antivirus software. In addition, backing up all data and enabling two-factor authentication is advised. 

During the conference, turning off all Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is a good idea, it says. Plus, use a reliable VPN or put your phone on airplane mode. It’s also advised to restart your phone daily to remove any possible malware installations. It even advises to avoid using credit cards – “cash is king,” it says. 

Meetings are open events with attendees using multiple devices and are thus vulnerable. Kevin Coffey, a retired Los Angeles Police Department detective and travel safety and meeting risk trainer, stresses the importance of meeting professionals consulting with IT departments about cybersecurity.  Each touchpoint of a meeting should be analyzed. And possible risks discussed.

Not if it Will Happen but When  

Data privacy disclosures and enforcement should be standard these days for event organizers and sponsors. 

“Cybercrimes will never go away. Especially with professional out-of-country cyber criminals attempting multiple data breaches that impact the world these days,” said Kevin Iwamoto, executive consultant who recently retired as chief customer officer and head of enterprise at Bizly. “All event organizers need to constantly be aware of and be serious about what would happen if their event data gets breached.”

An action plan needs to be in place as time is of the essence, said Iwamoto. “Event professionals should be thinking more about this like when this happens vs. if this happens.”

They should consult regularly with data and cyber security professionals to assess their current data protection processes and develop appropriate response plans in anticipation of a cyber-attack happening, adds Iwamoto.