[BreachExchange] Koei Tecmo reveals cyber attack, shuts down forum websites

[Destry Winant]

https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/koei-tecmo-reveals-cyber-attack-shuts-down-forum-websites-2847035

Japanese video game developer Koei Tecmo has revealed that its
European forum was the recent target of a cyber attack.

The developer announced the news after it shut down its European
website to prevent any further attacks while the matter is being
investigated. In a press release issued on December 25, Koei Tecmo
noted that some user information collected on its website could’ve
been “leaked online”.

The suspected leaked information – which tallies to approximately
65,000 items – may include account names, passwords and registered
email addresses. Koei Tecmo claims that no credit card information has
been breached.

The party responsible for the cyber attack has not been identified
yet, although Koei Tecmo notes that “the possibility of it being a
ransomeware attack is low”. The company has also confirmed that there
have not been any threats or demands made towards the Koei Tecmo in
exchange for keeping the stolen data private.

While investigations are being carried out, Koei Tecmo has completely
shut down its Europe and US sites. It has also announced that it’s
“taking the steps to file a damage report to UK local law enforcement”
and has reported the breach to the EU General Data Protection
Regulation.

The company has claimed that the recent security breach has not
impacted its game development, nor is it expected to make a major
impact in its financial year for 2020.

Several notable gaming companies, including Capcom, Ubisoft, and
Crytek have been targets of cyber attacks in the past months. While no
customer credit card information was leaked, Ubisoft and Crytek’s
customer data was shared after the studios failed to meet ransomware
group Egregor’s demands.