TOKYO - International hacking group Qilin has claimed responsibility for a ransomware attack on subsidiaries of Keio Railway in late September, publishing images allegedly showing internal company documents and displaying a countdown believed to indicate a deadline for releasing stolen data, while the railway operator said it is investigating the claims.
The cyberattack occurred in the early hours of September 26, when several companies within the Keio Railway Group were targeted by ransomware, a type of malicious software used to demand payment from victims. The attack disrupted operations across parts of the group, leaving reservation services at some hotels and certain email systems unavailable.
According to a cybersecurity company, Qilin published a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, which was confirmed on the morning of October 16. The statement included 27 images purportedly showing internal company documents, along with a countdown believed to indicate the deadline for making stolen information publicly available.
Keio Railway acknowledged that the group had claimed to have released some information belonging to its subsidiaries. However, the company said it had not yet established whether the material published by the hackers was genuine internal information.
The railway operator said it was continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack and verify the authenticity of the information allegedly disclosed by Qilin.
Source: TBS
