A ransomware group claims to have hacked into the servers of one of the gaming giants, Bandai Namco. Even so, this Japanese game studio has not yet provided an official statement regarding this claim.
News of the hack was first reported by two malware watchdog groups, Vx-underground. Launching PC Gamer (13/7), this report is accompanied by an image from the darkweb blog ALPHV which has claimed the cyber attack.
The hacker group that calls itself ALPHV is better known as BlackCat in the ransomware world. According to information from PC Gamer, the group that targeted the attack on Bandai Namco’s servers appears to have been recognized by several malware watchdogs.
Some malware researchers say, this contemporary ALPHV is suspected to be related to previous ransomware such as BlackMatter or Noberus. PC Gamer said the ALPHV attack was a serious matter for its victims. In fact, this group also seems to have been the target of the FBI for some time.
As quoted from PC Gamer, the Hacker News report reveals, since December 4, 2021, BlackCat has been advertised on the Russian-language underground market. There, they call themselves the ‘next generation of ransomware’.
“We are in different weight categories, so we don’t recognize anyone,” an ALPHV representative said in February.
Furthermore, the malware watchdog account Vx-underground said the ALPHV ransomware group had demanded a ransom from video game giant Bandai Namco. Through a statement on Twitter, Bandai Namco was listed as an international video game publisher who has published several games such as Dark Souls, Ace Combat, Dragon Ball, and others.
Despite the news circulating regarding the hack, until now there has been no official response released by Bandai Namco. So, the news about this cyber attack still needs to be confirmed by the company.
