Casio Ransomware Attack: Personal Data of 8,500 Individuals Stolen
In a recent cybersecurity incident, Casio, a renowned Japanese electronics company, faced a major ransomware attack that compromised the personal data of nearly 8,500 individuals. The attack took place on October 5 and was attributed to the Underground ransomware group, reportedly linked to the Russia-associated cybercriminal organization RomCom (Storm-0978).
During this breach, hackers infiltrated Casio’s systems, rendering them largely inoperative and extracting over 200 gigabytes of sensitive information. Casio’s investigation has revealed that the stolen data primarily affected approximately 6,500 employees, exposing details such as names, employee numbers, and email addresses. Additionally, some employees’ gender information, birth dates, ID card data, family details, and taxpayer ID numbers were compromised.
- Employee data: Names, employee numbers, email addresses
- Business partners: Names, email addresses, phone numbers
- Customer information: Personal details of 91 individuals
“Upon completion of the investigation as far as possible, Casio would like to report that some of its internal documents, including personal information, have been leaked,” Casio stated in their official update.
Casio Official Update
Importantly, Casio confirmed that no credit card information was exposed due to the secure handling of customer data by an unaffected system. The breach was facilitated by phishing tactics exploiting vulnerabilities in Casio’s defenses against such emails.
Standing firm against cyber extortion, Casio stated that it did not engage in negotiations with the ransomware attackers and refused any unreasonable demands. The company reported that most services disrupted by the attack have been restored, though some remain offline. Unfortunately, specific details about these services remain unclear.
This incident serves as a reminder for organizations to bolster their security measures against phishing attacks to safeguard sensitive information effectively.
