The newest showcase at Las Vegas’s Mob Museum may not feature eye-catching items like Bugsy Siegel’s shades or the infamous wall from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, but it provides a fascinating insight into contemporary organized crime.

“Digital Underground,” which launched this week, centers on the menace of cybercrime. Spanning from the early hackers of the 1970s to today’s sophisticated ransomware gangs that pilfer over $150 million each day, the exhibit enables the audience to visualize these unseen crimes. The highlight of “Digital Underground” is a live cyberthreat map displaying ongoing attacks. A substantial mural and panel elucidate how these criminal ventures function and proliferate worldwide, with corporations and governments encountering roughly 1,900 cyberattacks every week.

“Cybercrime has emerged as one of the most urgent, widespread, and lucrative threats of our era,” stated Geoff Schumacher, The Mob Museum’s Vice President of Exhibits and Programs. “‘Digital Underworld’ offers essential historical background, fascinating artifacts, and a real-time glimpse into how these offenses are perpetrated today, making it evident that organized crime is no longer confined to the streets, but flourishes in the digital realm.”

In 2023, a significant cyberattack affected MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, both operating the largest casino resorts in Las Vegas. Prior to hackers locking individuals out of hotel rooms and demanding multi-million-dollar ransoms, they were engaged in phone scams four decades ago, as highlighted by “Digital Underground.”

The exhibit also showcases a floppy disk containing an early computer virus, a Cap’n Crunch cereal toy whistle used to manipulate pay phones for free long-distance calls, and a book by Joseph Popp, the inventor of the first ransomware in 1989. For more information, visit the exhibit’s website.