Japanese electronics company Casio is currently facing a challenging situation after being targeted by a ransomware attack that has left many of its systems inoperable for almost two weeks. According to a spokesperson for Casio, Ayuko Hara, the company is still struggling to recover from the cyberattack and sees no clear path to restoration at this time. The attack, which occurred on October 5, resulted in a system failure that impacted several servers, prompting the company to take immediate action to isolate the affected systems and prevent further damage.
As a result of these measures, Casio’s ability to receive and place orders with suppliers as well as schedule product shipments has been significantly disrupted. Customers in Japan have been particularly impacted by shipping delays, with orders displaying a message indicating uncertainty regarding the shipping date due to problems with the company’s shipping system. However, the company’s U.S. website appears to be functioning normally despite the ongoing issues in Japan.
Casio disclosed on Friday that sensitive company data and personal information belonging to employees, contractors, business partners, and job applicants had been compromised during the ransomware attack. The Underground ransomware group, which has claimed responsibility for the data theft, shared samples of the stolen information on its dark web leak site. Despite the threatening message left by the hackers, Casio has not received a ransom demand, indicating that direct communication with the ransomware group has not occurred.
While the exact extent of the data breach is still being investigated, Casio has confirmed that certain information has been compromised. However, the company asserts that no customer credit card details have been affected by the attack. The Underground group, which has been linked to the Russian cybercriminal organization RomCom (or Storm-0978), alleges that over 200 gigabytes of data were taken from Casio’s systems. Security experts have previously connected the RomCom group to cyber activities associated with the Russian government.
When questioned about the validity of Underground’s claims, Hara stated that Casio is currently conducting an investigation to determine the accuracy of the information provided. The company’s efforts to assess the scope of the breach and secure its systems are ongoing as it navigates the aftermath of the ransomware attack. Despite the challenges faced by Casio, the company remains committed to prioritizing its customers and working towards a full recovery from the cyber incident.
