Niconico, a popular Japanese video-sharing website, experienced a server outage in early June, prompting its parent company, Kadokawa, to temporarily suspend its service. Now, a hacker group linked to Russia is claiming responsibility for the cyberattack and threatening the anime media conglomerate with the release of sensitive information about its operations and employees.
According to Kyodo News, the hacker group known as BlackSuit posted a statement on the dark web claiming responsibility for the Niconico cyberattack. BlackSuit claims to have gained access to Kadokawa’s network and downloaded 1.5 terabytes of sensitive data about the company’s operations. This data allegedly includes signed documents, contracts, legal statements, emails, and other information. The ransom note warns that if Kadokawa does not pay by Monday, July 1, 2024, “everything will go public.”
Kadokawa has yet to provide an official response to the cyber threat. As a major Japanese media company, Kadokawa is involved in a variety of projects and franchises. In addition to owning Niconico, the company publishes popular light novels and manga series such as Sword Art Online and invests in numerous anime productions. Kadokawa also owns From Software, the Japanese developer behind Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and the recently updated Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.
The risk of leaking personal information about its employees, clients, and anyone else associated with the company is a major concern for Kadokawa. According to the company, it does not retain credit card information from its service websites, such as Niconico, and there have been no user-related data leaks. Kadokawa has been looking into the situation since the initial cyberattack was reported in early June.
Kadokawa is not the only company that has experienced a serious cyberattack. In December 2023, a different group of hackers targeted Insomniac Games, the developer of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for PlayStation 5. This attack resulted in the leak of future Marvel Comics-related game releases as well as employee personal information. Several game companies and developers condemned the attack and expressed support for the PlayStation company.
The Niconico cyberattack and subsequent extortion by BlackSuit highlight the growing threat of cyberattacks against major media and entertainment companies. As Kadokawa continues to investigate and address the breach, the industry as a whole must remain vigilant and proactive in protecting sensitive data and responding to cyber threats.
Source – Kyodo News
