One of the world’s largest companies in anime media and production, Kadokawa, has suffered a major data breach after a group of Russian hackers, BlackSuit, failed to receive ransom demands. On July 1, 2024, following the expiration of the BlackSuit deadline, Kadokawa experienced a massive data breach, according to The Record and FNN. This group claims to have 1.5 terabytes of data related to Kadokawa, which they threatened to release on July 1.
After the deadline expired, data allegedly originating from the Kadokawa group became public, including streamer contracts who had worked with Kadokawa, Dwango employee data (a subsidiary of Kadokawa) and, notably, information about students from Group N High School, one of the largest schools in Japan with nearly 28,000 students both in-person and online. The school was founded in 2016 by Kadokawa Dwango Educational Institute.
Kadokawa immediately responded to the leak, issuing its “We deeply apologize for the great concern and inconvenience this has caused to all involved.”. The company is currently investigating the authenticity of the leak in collaboration with a specialized external organization and expects the results by the end of July.
Meanwhile, users of popular Japanese streaming service Niconico have been urged to change their passwords, although Kadokawa has assured that credit card details have not been stolen. The company also issued a warning to avoid accessing or downloading the leaked data due to possible malware, adding: “We are currently investigating the content of the organization’s claims, but since the dissemination of the aforementioned data may infringe personal information and have serious repercussions, we ask that you refrain from sharing it on social media, etc.».
Kadokawa is one of Japan’s largest anime producers, owning large stakes in anime studios such as ENGI (Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!) and Kinema Citrus (Made in Abyss, My Happy Marriage, The Rising of the Shield Hero). The company is also involved in the production of numerous anime adaptations of its manga and light novel publishers, including works by ASCII Media Works (Sword Art Online), Enterbrain (Overlord), Fujimi Shobo (High School DxD, Date A Live) and Media Factory (Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-). Kadokawa’s involvement in such a wide range of productions was cited as a natural reason for its new plans to establish a wholly owned anime studio, consolidating its IP internally.
This attack could significantly affect Kadokawa’s anime production. The leak of sensitive information and the need to strengthen security measures could divert resources and attention from creative production, causing delays in current and future projects. In addition, the trust of partners and employees could be affected, complicating collaboration on new productions.
The precedent of Toei, which suffered a ransomware attack in 2022, shows that the consequences can be long-lasting and severely impact release schedules and content production. In Toei’s case, the attack forced the company to rebroadcast old episodes of its popular titles for nearly a month and postponed the theatrical release of “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.” If Kadokawa faces a similar situation, it is likely to also face delays to major launches and potential significant financial losses.
To mitigate these effects, Kadokawa will need to work hard to regain the trust of its partners, employees and audience. Implementing more robust security measures and making its efforts to protect information transparent will be crucial steps in this process. The company’s ability to manage this crisis will also influence its long-term reputation and its position within the anime industry.
Kadokawa Suffers Major Data Breach After Ransom Demand Not Met
One of the world’s largest companies in anime media and production, **Kadokawa**, has suffered a **major data breach** after ransom demands were not met by a group of Russian hackers, **BlackSuit**, on July 1, 2024. According to The Record and FNN, Kadokawa experienced a massive data breach following the expiration of the BlackSuit deadline.
This group claims to have **1.5 terabytes of data related to Kadokawa** which they threatened to release on July 1.
What Data Was Leaked?
After the deadline expired, data allegedly originating from the Kadokawa group became public, including:
- **Streamer contracts** who had worked with Kadokawa
- **Dwango employee data** (a subsidiary of Kadokawa)
- **Information about students from Group N High School**, one of the largest schools in Japan with nearly 28,000 students both in-person and online. The school was founded in 2016 by Kadokawa Dwango Educational Institute.
Kadokawa’s Response
Kadokawa immediately responded to the leak, issuing its “**We deeply apologize for the great concern and inconvenience this has caused to all involved.**” Kadokawa says it is currently investigating the authenticity of the leak in collaboration with a specialized external organization and expects the results by the end of July.
Meanwhile, users of popular Japanese streaming service Niconico have been urged to change their passwords, although Kadokawa has assured that credit card details have not been stolen. The company also issued a warning to avoid accessing or downloading the leaked data due to possible malware, adding: “We are currently investigating the content of the organization’s claims, but since the dissemination of the aforementioned data may infringe personal information and have serious repercussions, we ask that you refrain from sharing it on social media, etc.”.
Impact on Kadokawa’s Anime Production
Kadokawa is one of **Japan’s largest anime producers**, owning large stakes in anime studios such as **ENGI** (Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!) and **Kinema Citrus** (Made in Abyss, My Happy Marriage, The Rising of the Shield Hero). The company is also involved in the production of numerous anime adaptations of its manga and light novel publishers, including works by **ASCII Media Works** (Sword Art Online), **Enterbrain** (Overlord), **Fujimi Shobo** (High School DxD, Date A Live) and **Media Factory** (Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-). Kadokawa’s involvement in such a wide range of productions was cited as a natural reason for its new plans to establish a wholly owned anime studio, consolidating its IP internally.
This attack could significantly affect Kadokawa’s anime production. The leak of sensitive information and the need to strengthen security measures could divert resources and attention from creative production, causing **delays in current and future projects**. In addition, the trust of partners and employees could be affected, complicating collaboration on new productions.
Potential Long-Term Consequences
The precedent of Toei, which suffered a ransomware attack in 2022, shows that the consequences can be long-lasting and severely impact release schedules and content production. In Toei’s case, the attack forced the company to rebroadcast old episodes of its popular titles for nearly a month and postponed the theatrical release of “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.” If Kadokawa faces a similar situation, it is likely to also face delays to major launches and potential significant financial losses.
To mitigate these effects, Kadokawa will need to **work hard to regain trust** of its partners, employees, and audience. Implementing more robust security measures and making its efforts to protect information transparent will be crucial steps in this process. The company’s ability to manage this crisis will also **influence its long-term reputation and its position within the anime industry.**
Fuente: **The Record from Recorded Future News**