Kadokawa Group, the parent company of Elden Ring developer FromSoftware has revealed that they have been hit by a significant cyberattack. Moreover, BlackSuit, a ransomware group has claimed to have hacked 1.5TB of data from Kadokawa, which has caused major disruptions across several of its services.
FromSoftware Parent Company Has 1.5TB of Data Hacked by Ransomware Gang
Today, on June 27, Kadokawa Group, a multinational media conglomerate majorly known for owning Elden Ring developer company, FromSoftware, confirmed that they have faced a major cyberattack that had a substantial impact on its operations.
One of the parts of the company that’s been hit the hardest is the Japanese video-sharing site Niconico, which has had to stop all services since June 8. However, Kadokawa didn’t say anything about FromSoftware, so we don’t know how much the Elden Ring developer has been affected.
According to a message posted by BlackSuit on the Dark Web, the group gained access to Kadokawa’s network nearly a month ago. The hackers say they’ve downloaded a lot of confidential information, including contracts, legal papers, financial data, and personal information of Kadokawa employees. They also say they have data about the email and browsing activities of Kadokawa’s platform users.
The ransomware group has demanded a heavy amount from Kadokawa, threatening to release the stolen data if their demands are not met by July 1. The group has criticized the company for offering an “extremely low” amount in negotiations, stating, “Since we are people of business, we are only interested in money.”
The message from the ransomware group says, “Kadokawa is trying to settle the deal, but the amount of money they have offered is extremely low for this company. Long story short, we have gained access to very personal information regarding Japanese citizens. Those people would definitely like to keep the data related to their private life confidential, no one would like to see ‘things they are doing in the night’ going public, including their emails and browsing history.”
The hackers claim to have sensitive information, suggesting that the data includes highly personal details that Japanese citizens would prefer to keep private. Moreover, they have warned Kadokawa’s management that if they don’t meet their demands, it could result in a big breach of privacy for many people.
Well, the attack on Kadokawa Group is part of a broader trend of increasing ransomware attacks on the games industry. Previously, companies like Rockstar Games and Insomniac have faced similar attacks, leading to significant leaks of confidential information.
Right now, Kadokawa Group is working with outside organizations to investigate how much data has been leaked and to find solutions for the systems that have been affected. But as the situation continues, the gaming community and people in the industry are waiting anxiously for more information on how big the breach is and what its effects might be.
In summary, the cyberattack on Kadokawa Group by the hacker group BlackSuit is reported to have a lot of information, and how the company responds to the ransom demands will determine how bad the fallout from this breach will be.
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