Japanese food logistics giant recovers as extortion group claims cyberattack

Japanese food logistics giant Nichirei Logistics Group is gradually restoring operations after a cyberattack disrupted food deliveries across the country. RansomHouse, a cybercrime group known for publicly releasing stolen data rather than encrypting it, claimed responsibility for the attack and demanded contact from the company to prevent the release of what it described as "confidential data, projects and documents." The group emerged in March 2022 and has previously linked to Russia-aligned threat actors, including Alphv/BlackCat, LockBit 3.0 and RagnarLocker.

RansomHouse previously claimed responsibility for an attack on Japanese retailer Askul that disrupted its e-commerce operations and prompted the company to disclose a breach affecting customer and supplier information. The attack significantly impacted Nichirei's nationwide network of approximately 140 refrigerated distribution centers, affecting food manufacturers, supermarket chains, and restaurant operators that rely on the company's logistics services.

Among the companies affected was fast-food chain KFC Japan, which said last week that disrupted deliveries from a Nichirei subsidiary caused shortages of ingredients, including its signature Original Recipe chicken, forcing some of its more than 1,300 restaurants to reduce menus and shorten operating hours. To mark the recovery, the company launched a promotional campaign offering discounted Original Chicken under the slogan "Chicken is back!"

Several other major Japanese companies across a range of industries have disclosed cyberattacks in recent weeks, including one of Japan's largest telecommunications providers, KDDI, the Japanese unit of insurer Aflac, electronics manufacturer Nidec and brewer Sapporo Holdings. There is no indication that the incidents are linked, and the threat actors behind them remain unknown.