Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS), the world?s largest casino operator, was attacked by hackers who defaced at least one company website and posted personal information about employees.
The unidentified intruders temporarily took over the home page of the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, posting statements criticizing Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sheldon Adelson, a staunch supporter of?Israel, over comments he made about Iran and its nuclear program.
Visitors to company websites today were told they are undergoing maintenance. On-screen messages provided phone numbers for the properties.
While a connection hasn?t been proven, the attack could represent the first time Adelson?s business empire has felt an impact from his high-profile positions on politics and foreign affairs. The 80-year-old Republican said in October the U.S. should bomb?Iran?with a nuclear missile to deter that country?s nuclear ambitions, according to the New York-based?Jewish Daily Forward?newspaper.
Sands rose 0.6 percent to $78.78 at the close in New York. The shares are little changed this year.
The company, based in Las Vegas, is working with law enforcement agencies to identify those responsible for the hacking, Ron Reese, a spokesman, said yesterday via text message. The company is using internal and external experts to assess the damage and return the sites to full operation, he said.
In addition to the Bethlehem casino, Sands? corporate website and the sites of its resorts in Las Vegas; Macau,?China; and Singapore all returned error messages yesterday. Some company e-mails weren?t functioning.
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