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A cybercriminal group, Hunters International, claimed responsibility for the ransomware attack on the recently compromised optics company, Hoya. Based on reports, these ransomware operators are currently extorting the infected company, with rumours stating that they are demanding a hefty sum of $10 million to prevent the exposure of sensitive data stolen during the cyberattack.
Hoya, the infected company based in Japan, specialises in manufacturing optical instruments, medical gear, and electronic parts. The cybersecurity issue immediately became one of the most severe cybercriminal operations this year as the targeted company is a significant organisation with offices in over 30 countries and labs globally.
Hoya revealed it had fallen victim to a cyberattack about a week ago. The attack disrupted the company’s daily operations, such as making products and processing orders. These operations suffered delays mainly because of the IT problems caused by the ransomware attack across the business. Currently, Hoya suspects that the hackers might have obtained sensitive data, but it would take time to figure out what was taken.
After a week of speculation, Hunters International pounced on the issue and claimed the ransomware attack on Hoya.
The cyber attackers, Hunters International, surprised Hoya after extorting them $10 million in exchange for the prevention of leaking about 1.7 million stolen files, which is equivalent to approximately two massive terabytes of datasets. The attackers seemed unwilling to budge from their demand despite negotiations being in the works.
As of now, none of the stolen files have surfaced online, and the attackers have not fully confirmed how they managed to infiltrate Hoya. However, screenshots from the negotiation process between Hoya and the cybercriminals have leaked online, highlighting the tense situation.
Hoya is not the only target of Hunters International in recent memory. This group has been on the radar since mid-2023, attacking companies across various industries with ransom demands ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.
This cyberattack on Hoya shows that even the most prominent companies from some of the most sophisticated countries, like Japan, are not safe from sophisticated ransomware campaigns. Therefore, every organisation should be wary of such attacks and invest more in improving cybersecurity measures to avoid falling victim to threat actors.
