Bandai Namco confirms hack after ALPHV ransomware data leak threat

Game publishing giant Bandai Namco has confirmed that they suffered a cyberattack that may have resulted in the theft of customers' personal data.

Bandai Namco is a Japanese publisher of numerous popular video games, including Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Pac-Man, Tekken, Gundam, Soulcalibur, and many more.

This past Monday, the BlackCat ransomware operation (aka AlphV) claimed to have breached Bandai Namco and stolen corporate data during the attack.
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Today, Bandai Namco confirmed that they suffered a cyberattack on July 3rd when hackers breached internal systems for offices in Asian regions, other than Japan.

The full statement issued today by Bandai Namco can be read below.

"On July 3, 2022, Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. confirmed that it experienced an unauthorized access by third party to the internal systems of several Group companies in Asian regions (excluding Japan). After we confirmed the unauthorized access, we have taken measures such as blocking access to the servers to prevent the damage from spreading. In addition, there is a possibility that customer information related to the Toys and Hobby Business in Asian regions (excluding Japan) was included in the servers and PCs, and we are currently identifying the status about existence of leakage, scope of the damage, and investigating the cause.

We will continue to investigate the cause of this incident and will disclose the investigation results as appropriate. We will also work with external organizations to strengthen security throughout the Group and take measures to prevent recurrence.

We offer our sincerest apologies to everyone involved for any complications or concerns caused by this incident." - Bandai Namco.

While Bandai Namco has not provided any technical details regarding the cyberattack, the entry to BlackCat's data leak site and the company confirming the attack makes it more than likely that they suffered a ransomware attack.

BlackCat has not released any of Bandai Namco's allegedly stolen data at this time.

However, ransomware gangs typically hold off on releasing stolen data until they are sure that a company will not pay a ransom.

Now that Bandai Namco has issued a public statement, it would not be surprising to find that the company's data will be leaked later today or tomorrow.

Who is AlphV/BackCat?

The AlphV/BlackCat ransomware operation launched in November 2021 and is believed to be a rebrand of the DarkSide/BlackMatter gang.

The ransomware gang gained notoriety as DarkSide after attacking the Colonial Pipeline and feeling the full pressure of international law enforcement.

Today, the group is considered one of the largest ransomware threats targeting the enterprise, hitting companies such as the Moncler fashion group and the Swissport airline cargo handling services provider.

The gang has also been evolving its extortion tactics by launching a new searchable database of stolen data this week, making double-extortion attacks even more damaging for victims.

In April, the FBI published a warning that BlackCat had breached at least 60 entities worldwide and stated that they have "extensive networks and experience with ransomware operations."