Cyber Incident Victim: Snai
Date:
Dec 2020
Location:
Italy
Summary
An Italian gaming operator experienced a ransomware attack disrupting its website and mobile applications, causing prolonged service outages. The company confirmed unauthorized access but asserted user accounts and sensitive data remained uncompromised, though external observers questioned the reliability of such claims given common attacker tactics to conceal breaches. Technical disruptions necessitated extended downtime while incident response efforts were underway.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On December 27, 2020, Snaitech, a major legal gaming operator in Italy, experienced a cyber attack that disrupted its snai.it website and gaming applications. The company confirmed the incident through an official press release issued at 17:25 on December 28, 2020, attributing the disruption to unknown attackers. Technical staff had proactively taken systems offline prior to the attack, indicating early detection of suspicious activity. Snaitech characterized the incident as a ransomware attack but did not disclose specific malware variants or initial intrusion vectors. Service outages persisted beyond initial restoration attempts, suggesting significant infrastructure compromise. The company maintained operational isolation of gaming accounts and user data repositories throughout the incident.
The attack caused sustained malfunctions impacting online betting services for at least two days. Snaitech's press release explicitly stated that user accounts and sensitive data were unaffected by the intrusion, assuring customers no changes or losses would occur to their accounts. Technical teams prioritized containment through system isolation rather than immediate restoration, prolonging service downtime. Independent cybersecurity observers noted the prolonged outage and preventive takedown measures aligned with ransomware attack patterns. Media outlets questioned the reliability of Snaitech's data integrity claims, citing historical precedents where attackers concealed data exfiltration. No threat actor claimed responsibility or published exfiltrated data during the immediate aftermath period.