TOKYO - The ransomware group Qilin, accused of carrying out repeated cyberattacks against companies including Asahi Group Holdings, has warned that attacks targeting Japanese companies and government agencies could increase after a suspected core member was detained in Osaka and extradited to Germany.
Qilin Hacker Group Says Japan Has One of World's Worst Cybersecurity Systems
Hackers Warn Cyberattacks on Japan Could Increase
Qilin Threatens More Attacks After Core Member Detained in Osaka
Qilin Says Japan Has World's Worst Computer Security After Member Detained
The ransomware group Qilin, accused of carrying out repeated cyberattacks against companies including Asahi Group Holdings, has warned that attacks targeting Japanese companies and government agencies could increase after a suspected core member was detained in Osaka and extradited to Germany.
Qilin was linked to a cyberattack against Asahi Breweries in 2025 and has repeatedly targeted companies around the world, including Asahi Group Holdings.
According to people familiar with the investigation, a Russian national believed to be a central member of the group was taken into custody by Japanese investigative authorities in Osaka and subsequently handed over to German authorities.
In a statement provided in response to questions from JNN, Qilin neither confirmed nor denied that the detained man was one of its members.
"We cooperate with more than 300 anonymous individuals around the world, but there has never been a case in which pressure from investigative authorities has caused us to stop our activities," the group said in what it described as an official statement from the team.
Qilin also criticized the authorities, accusing them of attempting to "destroy the life of a person who has not been proven guilty."
The group went further in its assessment of Japan's cybersecurity, describing the country as having "one of the worst computer security systems in the world."
"Attacks against Japanese companies and government agencies could increase in the future," Qilin said. "This is not a threat, but our professional assessment."
Source: TBS
