Kadokawa investigates new data leak following BlackSuit ransomware attack

Kadokawa, a major Japanese media company known for producing manga, anime, and video games, which has been investigating a cyberattack orchestrated by the BlackSuit ransomware group in June 2024, has told reporters that the ransomware group has released a new batch of its information on the dark web.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Kadokawa confirmed that it is “continuing to work diligently toward the complete restoration of its operations” and acknowledged that the group claiming responsibility for the attack had recently released additional data. The company is working with law enforcement and external security experts to address the situation.

Although Kadokawa has not confirmed whether BlackSuit was indeed behind the attack, researchers have observed that the ransomware gang posted new data allegedly stolen from the company on its darknet site earlier this week. BlackSuit initially began leaking small portions of the stolen data in late June and threatened to release 1.5 terabytes of additional files unless a ransom was paid.

BlackSuit is believed to be a rebrand of the Royal ransomware group, which was operated by individuals connected to the now-defunct Conti cybercrime gang. The leaked data from Kadokawa reportedly includes information about business partners, contracts, and sensitive internal documents. Additionally, the personal data of employees from Kadokawa’s subsidiary Dwango, which operates the video-sharing platform Niconico, was compromised.

In its latest statement, Kadokawa indicated that the most recently published information is likely “not new” but is being reviewed with the assistance of external experts. The company apologized for the ongoing concern and inconvenience caused by the attack, which impacted many of its and its subsidiary’s operations due to its shared data center.

Kadokawa is a prominent player in Japan’s film, publishing, and gaming sectors. In addition to running the e-book store BookWalker, which sells manga and novels, the company holds a majority stake in FromSoftware, the developer behind the globally popular video game Elden Ring.