The group has set a June 9 deadline for the payment of an undetermined ransom. According to the blog, "all available data will be published" if the company does not collaborate with the cybercriminals before then.
Kyocera AVX
Kyocera AVX’s clients involves military, industrial and automotive industries, for whom the company manufactures electronic products. It was established in the 1970s, and since 1990, it has been a part of Kyocera, a Japanese electronics business best known for its printers. Over 10,000 individuals are employed by it globally.
On May 26th, security researchers revealed that selected data of the company has been leaked and posted to LockBit’s dark web victim blog.
Apparently, the company’s data was breached following a cyberattack that took place on Fujitsu last year. The attack might have been the reason why LockBit was able to launch a supply chain attack on Kyocera AVX, and other companies that are partnered with Fujitsu via cyber or other social engineering attacks.
According to a Financial Times report, Fujitsu confirmed the attacks in December following a heads-up given by police agency of a potential intrusion. The intrusion further gave outsiders access to emails sent through an email system powered by Fujitsu.
It was later revealed that at least ten Japan-based companies, along with Kyocera AVX were victims of the attack.
LockBit Continues Cyber Activities Against Russia’s Enemy
Ransomware gang LockBit, which is assumed to have originated in Russia has been on news highlights pertaining to its interest on targeting organizations based in US and allied countries.
According to a report by security firm Malwarebytes, 126 victims have been posted by the ransomware gang in February alone.
This year, the gang targeted the UK Royal Mail, demanding ransom of $80 million in bitcoin. When the business refused to pay up, labeling the demands "ridiculous," the gang retaliated by sharing the information along with copies of the conversations between LockBit and Royal Mail's officials.
Later, it stole client information from WH Smith, a high-end street retailer in the UK. The hacker used current and previous employees' personal information. Since then, there has been no information indicating whether the business has paid the ransom.
In its recent case, this month, an individual named Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev who claims to have been involved with LockBit, has a bounty of $10 million on his head placed by the FBI. With connections to both the Hive and Babuk organizations, Matveev is believed to be a major participant in the Russian ransomware ecosystem.