KADOKAWA Cyber Attack Leads to Over a Month of 'Nico Nico Douga' Service Interruption, Potential Delays in New Releases and Reprints

Japanese major publishing company KADOKAWA announced that some of its business and accounting systems, as well as its group website, were down due to a cyberattack. According to KADOKAWA, multiple system failures occurred around 3:30 AM on June 8th. Investigations revealed that the company had been the target of a large-scale cyberattack, including ransomware that encrypts data and demands a ransom, primarily targeting services centered around 'Niconico' (ニコニコ), which provides video distribution and other services. This resulted in disruptions to various websites and online shopping malls, as well as book order and logistics systems, and parts of the accounting system. Consequently, new book releases and reprints may be delayed, and payments to business partners could also be postponed. Currently, there have been no confirmed leaks of personal information such as credit card details. While the company aims to restore core systems by the end of June, video distribution services like 'Niconico' are expected to take over a month to recover.

KADOKAWA's President, Ko Natsume, apologized for the system failures affecting the entire group since June 8th via Google's video distribution service, 'YouTube,' in the United States on June 14th. President Natsume stated, "We pulled the plug," emphasizing the seriousness of the current situation and the company's commitment to restoring the systems with all available resources.

KADOKAWA is working to minimize the damage caused by the cyberattack and plans to restore its core systems by the end of June. The company is also verifying whether any personal information has been leaked and plans to respond swiftly in case of any leaks. This cyberattack has heightened awareness of cybersecurity within Japan.