Hackers slam Michigan tribe for not negotiating after cyberattack forced casinos to close
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The showdown between a group of hackers and a Michigan tribe is far from over, even as the tribe prepares to reopen its chain of casinos following an 18-day shutdown.
Michigan casino chain forced to shut down after ransomware attack
A group called has claimed responsibility for the cyberattack and submitted a letter to the on Feb. 16 to provide its 'side of the events.'
The hacker group said it has made 'multiple attempts' to contact the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and said reports that they are demanding $5 million in ransom are false.
'They have received detailed instructions via phone voicemails, corporate and personal emails and internal network messages,' RansomHub . 'Despite these numerous efforts, no representative from the Sault Tribe has initiatives any communication with us. Therefore, the reported $5 million ransom figure is purely speculative, as no negotiations have taken place.'
The attack was first discovered on Feb. 9, forcing the tribe to promptly . The Sault Ste. Marie location is set to open Wednesday. The St. Ignace casino will open at noon Friday. The other three locations, in Manistique, Christmas and Hessel, will open at noon March 3.
Kewadin announces plans to reopen casinos weeks after ransomware attack
RansomHub claims it has possession of more than 100 gigabytes of confidential data. Tribal Chairman Austin Lowes said the tribe is still working to determine the extent of what private data was stolen, but did confirm that his personal information and the private data of his family members was exposed.
'The financial situation of the tribe is sufficient to cover the expenses associated with this cyberattack,' the RansomHub letter read. 'The tribe's failure to act raises serious questions about its leaderships priorities and intentions regarding this matter.'
Lowes has not made any mention of demands from the hackers or whether the two sides have negotiated a possible deal.
Sign up for the News 8 daily newsletter
The ransomware focused on the tribe's computer networks and internal phone systems. In addition to shutting down the tribe's five casinos, it severely limited all sorts of tribal services, including its health centers.
is a type of malicious hardware that locks users out of computer files, systems or networks and 'demands a ransom' to get it back. The FBI says there are several ways to unknowingly download ransomware onto a computer — anything from opening an email attachment, a pop-up ad or even visiting a website that has embedded malware.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
12 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Cathie Wood sells $22.8 million of hot stock near all-time highs
Cathie Wood has long been aggressive in hunting tech stocks that she believes will have a "disruptive" impact on the future world. However, she sometimes sells a stock when it is high to secure gains. In the past week, the head of Ark Investment Management sold a popular AI stock that has surged nearly 70% year-to-date. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Cathie Wood's investments have had a volatile ride this year, swinging from strong gains to sharp losses, and now back to outperforming the broader market. In January and February, the Ark funds rallied as investors bet on the Trump administration's potential deregulation that could benefit Wood's tech bets. But the funds stumbled in the following weeks, underperforming sharply as several of its top holdings -especially Tesla, its largest position - declined amid macroeconomic and trade policy uncertainties. Now, the fund is regaining momentum. As of June 6, the flagship Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK) is up 6.11% year-to-date, outpacing the S&P 500's 2.02% gain. Wood gained a remarkable 153% in 2020, which helped build her reputation and attract loyal investors. Still, her long-term performance has made many others skeptical of her aggressive style. As of June 6, Ark Innovation ETF, with $5 billion under management, has delivered a five-year annualized return of negative 0.5%. In comparison, the S&P 500 has an annualized return of 15.18% over the same period. Image source:Wood's investment strategy is straightforward: Her Ark ETFs typically buy shares in emerging high-tech companies in fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, biomedical technology and robotics. Wood says these companies have the potential to reshape industries, but their volatility leads to major fluctuations in Ark funds' values. Related: Cathie Wood's net worth: The Ark Invest CEO's wealth & income The Ark Innovation ETF wiped out $7 billion in investor wealth over the 10 years ending in 2024, according to an analysis by Morningstar's analyst Amy Arnott. That made it the third-biggest wealth destroyer among mutual funds and ETFs in Arnott's ranking. Wood said the U.S. is coming out of a three-year "rolling recession" and heading into a productivity-led recovery that could trigger a broader bull market. In a letter to investors published on April 30, she dismissed predictions of a recession dragging into 2026, as she expects "more clarity on tariffs, taxes, regulations, and interest rates over the next three to six months." "If the current tariff turmoil results in freer trade, as tariffs and non-tariff barriers come down in tandem with declines in other taxes, regulations, and interest rates, then real GDP growth and productivity should surprise on the high side of expectations at some point during the second half of this year," she wrote. She also struck an optimistic tone for tech stocks. "During the current turbulent transition in the US, we think consumers and businesses are likely to accelerate the shift to technologically enabled innovation platforms including artificial intelligence, robotics, energy storage, blockchain technology, and multiomics sequencing," she said. But not everyone shares Wood's bullish outlook. Her flagship Ark Innovation ETF has seen $2.23 billion in net outflows over the past year through June 5, including nearly $154 million in the last month alone, according to ETF research firm VettaFi. From June 2 to June 5, Wood's Ark funds sold 179,846 shares of Palantir Technologies (PLTR) , which was valued at roughly $22.8 million. Palantir is known for providing AI-driven data analytics software to the U.S. government, military, and commercial clients worldwide, including JPMorgan Chase, Airbus, and Merck. The company reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter revenue in early May and raised its full-year outlook as demand for AI tools increased. "We are delivering the operating system for the modern enterprise in the era of AI," CEO Alex Karp said. While many tech stocks have struggled this year, Palantir has stood out. Its shares are up roughly 69% in 2025 and just hit a record close of $133.17 on June 3. Related: As Palantir stock soars, veteran trader makes surprising call Much of the recent momentum comes from its government work. Back in May 2024, Palantir won a $480 million, five-year U.S. Army contract to build its Maven Smart System, which is a battlefield AI prototype. Last month, the Defense Department modified the contract, increasing the licensing ceiling from $480 million to $1.275 billion. Palantir's Foundry platform has been adopted by at least four federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a New York Times report published May 30. Fannie Mae also announced a partnership with Palantir in May to work on AI-based fraud detection. However, the New York Times article also raised concerns about the company's relationship with the Trump administration, alleging that the U.S. president could use Palantir's technology to target immigrants and political opponents. The article also claimed that some Palantir employees felt uncomfortable with the company's decision to work with the Trump administration and that it "risks becoming the face of Mr. Trump's political agenda." Palantir responded in a June 3 post on X, denying the accusations. More Palantir Palantir gets great news from the PentagonWall Street veteran doubles down on PalantirPalantir bull sends message after CEO joins Trump for Saudi visit "The recently published article by The New York Times is blatantly untrue," the company wrote. "Palantir never collects data to unlawfully surveil Americans." Palantir remains a core position for Wood even after recent trims. The stock is now the 9th largest holding in the ARK Innovation ETF, accounting for 4.54%. Wood's latest trades in the past week include buying shares of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) , (AMZN) , Guardant Health (GH) and Veracyte (VCYT) . At the same time, she trimmed positions in Tesla (TSLA) , Roblox (RBLX) , Robinhood (HOOD) , and Meta Platforms (META) . Related: Top analyst sends bold message on S&P 500 The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Stolen mail tossed along US-131; charges filed
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A man linked to an Illinois theft ring who fled police in Kalamazoo, tossing letters along US-131 during the chase, appeared in federal court this week on mail theft charges. Dequon Darvece Hardimon, 26, was indicted for conspiracy to steal mail and possession of stolen mail. Police are looking for two others. They're accused of coming to Michigan from Illinois in a rental vehicle 'for the purpose of stealing mail.' During a May 19 police chase along southbound US-131, stolen mail was tossed from the windows of the fleeing vehicle, officials said. Some was recovered. According to federal court records, thieves targeted mailboxes throughout the Kalamazoo area, looking specifically for personal checks and business checks. The stolen checks were then fraudulently cashed. Postal inspectors were conducting surveillance in mid-May at Kalamazoo's Miller Road branch when a 2012 GMC Arcadia pulled up to the mailboxes. Two men jumped out and, using an access key, got into the mailboxes, 'dumping the collected mail into the front passenger and rear passenger seats' of the Arcadia, according to a criminal complaint. Postal inspectors, emergency lights activated, approached the Arcadia, which jumped a concrete curb and drove across the lawn in an attempt to flee, records show. The chase was on. 'During the pursuit, postal inspectors observed large quantities (of) mail being discarded from the target vehicle, primarily along U.S. 131 south,' records show. Postal inspectors were assisted by three other police agencies in the pursuit, which ended about 15 miles away, on Red Arrow Highway in the VanBuren County village of Mattawan. Hardimon said the only reason he stopped was because of engine failure, and he attempted to run 'because he hates the police,' a U.S. postal inspector wrote in a criminal complaint. Hardimon was arrested. Two others made good their escape. Officials found multiple pieces of mail inside the Arcadia, along with multiple personal checks with payment receipts, court records show. Hardimon told investigators he was offered $1,000 to drive the two unidentified individuals around the Kalamazoo area, records show. Discarded mail was recovered along US-131 that matched mail found inside the Arcadia, records show. During a federal court hearing in Grand Rapids this week, a tentative trial date was set for August. The two federal charges filed against Hardimon are each punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Deputies: Holland Township rear-end crash sends 1 to hospital
HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Deputies say a woman was hospitalized Friday after a rear-end crash in Holland Township. It happened just after 11:40 a.m. on Riley Street near 100th Avenue, according to the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. A 44-year-old woman was heading east in a white Jeep, according to the sheriff's office. At the same time, two cars were stopped on Riley at a traffic signal. Deputies say the woman rear-ended the two stopped cars, then went off the road, through a fence and into the backyard of a nearby home. The woman was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, according to the sheriff's office. Other people suffered minor injuries. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
