Latest news with #AustinLowes
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
2 federal sites in Sault Ste. Marie on DOGE closure list; both house tribal services
SAULT STE. MARIE — As part of the sweeping efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency to reduce federal spending, two buildings in Sault Ste. Marie are set to close. The sites appear on the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) "Wall of Receipts" under a list of federal properties with upcoming lease terminations. According to DOGE, the Indian Health Services Sanitation office has an annual lease of $34,375, providing a total savings of $85,937. The local Bureau of Indian Affairs office at 2845 Ashmun St. is the other site slated for closure. The two buildings house services that are intended to help enhance the quality of life for tribal members and create economic opportunities for Native Americans and Alaska natives. Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our coverage Officials from the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians are still in the process of investigating how much the building closures will impact services going forward. Sault Tribe Chairman Austin Lowes said he is concerned about the lack of communication from DOGE regarding the closures. "It's unclear at this time whether that means the offices will be permanently closed, if they will relocate to a different location or if the leases will be renegotiated," Lowes said in a statement on Facebook. "Tribes don't know because we weren't consulted by this administration prior to the closure announcement, which is an obvious problem." Lowes also noted that the Sault Tribe Health Division is not directly impacted by these closures. — Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@ This article originally appeared on The Sault News: 2 federal office sites in Sault Ste. Marie on DOGE list to close
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kewadin casinos to reopen starting Wednesday after cyberattack
After a ransomware attack earlier this month shut down five Kewadin Casinos, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians said Tuesday it would reopen this week, starting at noon Wednesday with its Upper Peninsula casino in Sault Ste Marie. "Some tribal organizations were impacted more severely than others and are still recovering," Sault Tribe Chairman Austin Lowes said in the announcement. "But we're fortunate to be able to reopen Kewadin's doors." More: Michigan casinos, hackers locked in cybersecurity showdown Lowes apologized to guests, who were unable to visit while the gaming operations were shut down. He said the tribe, which owns and operates the casinos, "worked with outside cybersecurity experts around the clock to make the necessary steps to strengthen and enhance' its information technology systems. The tribe's gaming operations, the chairman added, will be "open and ready for business." The casinos, along with other tribal operations and businesses, were forced to temporarily close because of the cyberattack on Feb. 9. In addition, the tribe has said, hackers were able to steal personal information. Kewadin Casinos said it would be safe to use credit cards. More: Michigan casinos, hackers are locked in a cybersecurity showdown The casino in St. Ignace is scheduled to open at noon Friday, followed by the three other casinos in Manistique, Christmas, and Hessel at noon next Monday. The openings include the tribe's hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues. And, Kewadin added, a previously scheduled Tesla concert at 8 p.m. Friday would go on. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kewadin casinos to reopen after cyberattack snarls operations
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kewadin announces plans to reopen casinos weeks after ransomware attack
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — After being shut down for more than two weeks, Kewadin Casinos is gearing up to reopen all five locations over the next several days. Michigan casino chain forced to shut down after ransomware attack Casino officials posted the update Tuesday morning on Kewadin's website and on social media. The Sault Ste. Marie casino will be the first to open — at noon on Wednesday. The St. Ignace location will open at noon on Friday. The casinos in Manistique, Christmas and Hessel will open at noon on March 3. 'All casino hotels, restaurants and entertainment will resume their normal business hours when the casino reopens at the announced time. Unless previously cancelled by the guest, all hotel reservations beginning Wednesday at Sault Ste. Marie and Friday for St. Ignace are still valid,' Kewadin . The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians after discovering a ransomware attack on Feb. 9, which locked them out of their computer systems and phone lines. 'We immediately enlisted the help of third-party experts to determine how this incident was caused and to restore our gaming operations as quickly as possible,' Kewadin officials . Tribal chairman Austin Lowes said they do not yet know the full extent of what private data was stolen by the hackers. 'As of today, we know at least 10 of our members' personal information was exposed. This includes my personal information and my families,' Lowes said on Feb. 21. 'The tribe will be offering free credit monitoring services to any members who wish to utilize it.' Sign up for breaking news alert emails On top of lost revenue, the tribe was forced to cancel several events and do its best to keep essential services available for its members, including health centers and pharmacies. 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 or a pop-up ad to 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.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Yahoo
Michigan casino chain remains closed 9 days after ransomware attack
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — More than a week after a data security breach , Kewadin Casinos' five locations in the Upper Peninsula remain in the dark. A ransomware attack was discovered Feb. 9 by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, forcing it to shut down virtually all of its services, including its casinos. The tribe is still unable to access its computer systems or central phone lines. Michigan casino chain forced to shut down after ransomware attack 'Guests with existing hotel reservations only may reach us at 906.440.8245,' . 'When needed, guests will receive refunds when our system is online.' On top of lost revenue from the casinos, the tribe has been forced to cancel several events and is doing everything it can to keep essential services available for its members, including health centers and pharmacies. Tribal Chairman Austin Lowes told News 8 affiliate last week that the tribe hoped to have the problem resolved within the week but was prepared for it to take longer. Now, according to a report from , Lowes expects the shut down to last several more days. 'Right now, we expect the tribe will continue to operate in a limited capacity for up to another week,' Lowes told UpNorthLive Monday. 'We also understand there is a desire for our membership to know the details of what happened and the specifics around what is being done to fix it. Unfortunately, given that this is an ongoing attack, we cannot share further details at this time.' The 'other' mounds: Lost history is a part of West Michigan's story 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. Kewadin Casinos has five locations across the U.P.: Sault Ste. Marie, St. Ignace, Manistique, Christmas and Hessel. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
