Japanese freight company Kintetsu World Express reports major data security incident disrupting daily operations

Kintetsu World Express, a prominent Japanese freight forwarding company, recently reported that it experienced a significant data security incident, which severely impacted its daily operations. The breach disrupted the company’s systems and processes, affecting its ability to operate smoothly.

 

Headquartered in Minato City, Tokyo, Japan, Kintetsu World Express, a subsidiary of the Japanese railway holding company Kintetsu Group Holdings, offers air and sea cargo services globally.

 

In a data security incident notice published on its website, KWE said that on April 23, it experienced a service disruption that affected some of its customers. The company immediately launched an investigation, with assistance from external cyber security experts, to determine the nature and scope of the incident.

 

It also took steps to secure the affected systems and notified the company’s Chief Information Officer and relevant law enforcement authorities about the same.

 

On April 28, in a separate statement shared with the media, KWE said that the service disruption was a result of a ransomware attack where threat actors infiltrated its internal network, accessed company data and encrypted critical systems with malware.

 

“We have established an Emergency Response Headquarters, then conducting investigations, including a forensic investigation, to identify the scope of the impact and cause of this incident in coordination with external professionals. We have also consulted with and reported to the Japanese police regarding this incident,” KWE said.

 

The company added that efforts to recover the impacted systems are ongoing, and a definitive timeline for full restoration is yet to be determined.

 

In a recent update, KWE said that it is currently assessing the full scope of the ransomware attack.

 

“If we determine that a customer’s data has been impacted, we will notify them immediately.

 

“Most of our systems remain fully functional, allowing us to support our customers with minimal disruption. At the same time, we are remediating and recovering the systems that are impacted by this incident,” the company added.

 

At the time of publishing, no known hacker group claimed responsibility for the ransomware attack on KWE. The company also did not share details on who was behind the attack, or whether it has received a ransom demand.