Cyberattack Hits SBTech, Websites Offline Last Weekend

Cyberattack on SBTech caused the supplier to temporarily suspend service to more than 50 websites over the last weekend.

SBTech Hit by Cyberattack

A potential security threat to SBTech was detected by their monitoring system late on Friday, March 27. The cyberattack was quickly identified as a serious one and flagged, which resulted in the shutting down of SBTech’s data centers around the globe.

The action was taken as a precaution and the company acquired third-party specialists to help further with the investigation. More than 50 websites powered by Malta-based SBTech had to go offline during the weekend.

In the US, the Oregon Lottery and BetAmerica brands were affected as well as many others around the globe.  This caused disruption in Europe with sites like NetBet, Bethard, ComeOn and many others going offline.

DraftKings Planned Merge with Diamond Eagle Acquisition and SBTech

It was only last year that the merger between DraftKings, Diamond Eagle Acquisition and SBTech was announced. This merger is planned to combine the three suppliers and result in the creation of a new gaming giant based in the US.

Negotiations continue as on April 9 there is a planned meeting for Diamond Eagle in order for shareholders to vote for the proposed merger. Although the COVID-19 pandemic is still spreading and major global events have already been suspended or canceled, the merger is planned to complete in the next few months.

Not Quite the Usual Hacker Attack

The gambling industry located online has suffered a lot from cyberattacks. The cybercriminals usually strike when least expected with the sole purpose of receiving a ransom from the companies.

This usually happens just before a major poker tournament or sporting event, forcing the victim company to pay the ransom because they cannot stay out of business. However, the most recent attack to SBTech was out of the ordinary.

While most attacks are led by DDOS (direct denial of service) causing an overloading of the web site servers, this was not the case with the supplier. The remaining details of the puzzle are still undisclosed as the provider did not announce further information on the security threat, but reassured that there was no successful breach and the client’s data was encrypted and secure.

The supplier will conduct tests and quality assurance checks prior to bringing the websites online.