Cyberattack on Kadokawa: Legal action will be taken against anyone who distributes leaked data

Dwango issued a warning on July 5 that it will take legal action against anyone who spreads leaked information stolen in the cyberattack on Kadokawa Corporation last month. Dwango’s subsidiaries include game developer and publisher Spike Chunsoft and video streaming site Niconico.

As we previously reported, Japanese media conglomerate Kadokawa Corporation fell victim to a ransomware attack in early June 2024. The cyberattack targeted the dedicated server of Dwango (one of Kadokawa’s group companies). The hacker group Black Suits later claimed responsibility for the attack and threatened to publish the 1.5 TB of data it allegedly stole. Since then, Kadokawa Corporation has been posting regular updates on the situation on its temporary website.

In the early hours of July 2, numerous reports began surfacing online claiming that information had been leaked. Kadokawa Corporation released a statement on July 3 confirming the high probability that various specific data had been leaked online. This data included the personal information of all Kadokawa Dwango employees and some students attending online schools operated by Kadokawa. The leak also included a number of legal documents, including contracts between Dwango companies and outside organizations and individuals.

Kadokawa has not only apologized repeatedly to all those affected, but has also set up its own helpdesk for inquiries. “We will remain steadfast in our response and will not give in to such criminal acts,” the statement said on July 3.

As Defaminicogamer reported today, in its July 5 statement, Dwango took a hard line against individuals who deliberately spread the leaked information on online bulletin boards, social media, and the like. The company stated that it will work with lawyers to take legal action against those who maliciously spread the leaked information. Kadokawa Corporation and Dwango are continuing their investigation with the help of external professional associations and plan to release the results in late July 2024.