TOKYO (TR) – IT giant GMO Internet Group, Inc. has revealed it is facing an extortion attempt from cybercriminals who have threatened to leak stolen customer data and unleash a ransomware attack, reports TBS News (Oct. 27).
In a late-night announcement on Monday, the company confirmed that its Onamae.com Desktop Cloud service had been breached. According to GMO, the attackers issued an ultimatum: comply with their demands, or customer information will be published and ransomware activated at exactly 12:00 p.m. the following day.
While the threat had already been posted on a site operated by the attackers, Monday’s announcement marks the first time GMO has officially acknowledged the extortion attempt. The company is standing firm, however, emphasizing a strict policy of refusing to cave to hacker demands.
To uncover the full extent of the breach, GMO has deployed a team of in-house “white hackers.” The cybersecurity experts are currently taking direct custody of customers’ computers to analyze the intrusion and work on eradicating the virus. The company stated it will notify affected users directly via email and post updates on its website once concrete countermeasures are established.
In the meantime, GMO is urgently warning users to run full system scans and change their passwords using a “separate, safe device” to prevent further damage.
The company also issued a stark alert regarding secondary scams. GMO reminded customers that staff will never ask for passwords or verification codes, and warned users to ignore any fraudulent messages offering to “recover lost funds” for a fee.