Japanese gaming giant Capcom has exposed a security breach that resulted in unauthorized access to files and systems.
Street Fighter and Resident Evil developers claim that the incident was discovered in the early hours of November 2 and affected email and file servers, among others.
Capcom’s Data is Worth $11 Million
In early November 2020, Capcom stated that it was the target of a computer attack. The Japanese company did not go into detail about the nature of the attack, saying that it was suspending some operations and notifying authorities:
Starting in the early hours of November 2, 2020, several Capcom Group networks struggled to disrupt access to specific systems, including email and file servers. The company confirmed that this was due to a third party’s unauthorized access and has suspended some operations on its internal network since then.
However, a cybersecurity expert familiar with the malware scene under the pseudonym Pancak3lullz was able to analyze fragments of the malware’s code and notify Bleeping Computer that Capcom was affected by ransomware developed by a group called Ragnar Locker.
According to Pancak3lullz, Ragnar Locker could encrypt 2,000 devices on the Capcom network by asking for $ 11,000,000 in bitcoin to get the key to decrypt nearly two terabytes of information that is currently not available to Capcom.
Capcom’s risky data includes document files, passports, sales reports, bank statements, contracts, and several strategic information databases.
Informing the Public About New Developments
The statement concluded that Capcom is currently consulting the police and other relevant agencies while conducting an investigation and taking steps to restore its systems. The company will continue to provide appropriate updates as the facts become apparent through the website and other means.
According to this information, the company notifies visitors to its website that they will not respond to inquiries and fulfill requests for documents due to “network issues” suffered on Monday.
A Growing Problem in the Crypto Space
The increasing number of ransomware attacks is another dark chapter for the crypto industry, as many hackers ask victims to pay in Bitcoin or Monero.
Gaming companies and their customers are popular targets for cyber attacks: Akamai says they experienced 152 million web application attacks and 10 billion attempts to enter credentials between July 2018 and June 2020.
It all comes down to the trouble of tracking funds and making easy money transfers from anywhere in the world. In recent months, this type of crime has become very popular, with estimates suggesting that at least one company will experience a ransomware attack every 10 seconds. For reference only, in 2016, the figures represented an attack almost every two minutes.
It is undoubtedly a challenge for a generation increasingly dependent on digital information, and, oddly enough, the need to archive their sensitive information is diminishing.
