Yakult Australia is grappling with a cyberattack orchestrated by the DragonForce cybercrime group, resulting in the release of sensitive company data.
Renowned for its probiotic milk beverage, Yakult Australia is dealing with a cybersecurity breach that has affected its IT systems in Australia and New Zealand. The cybercrime group DragonForce has claimed responsibility for the attack, releasing 95 GB of data allegedly belonging to Yakult, according to a report by BleepingComputer.
Despite the cyber incident, Yakult’s operations in Australia and New Zealand remain open. DragonForce is known for targeting companies and threatening to release sensitive data if extortion attempts fail. Yakult Australia is among the 20 victims identified by DragonForce.
In a statement to BleepingComputer, Yakult Australia disclosed the cyber issue and said they were made aware of the intrusion on December 15. The business is working with cybersecurity specialists to quickly examine the situation. The scope of the event and the specific attack strategy are still unknown as of right now.
Although Yakult’s IT systems in Australia and New Zealand were affected by the cyberattack, these countries’ offices are still open and running. The business promises to update all parties involved as the inquiry develops.
DragonForce claims that a range of sensitive data, including contracts, passports, company databases, and more, are included in the data dump. This kind of strategy is in line with some cybercrime groups’ methods, which involve trying to extort money from its victims. If the group fails, the stolen assets and data are made public.
DragonForce runs DragonLeaks, a leak website where it publishes a list of the firms it has targeted. The website prominently displays the phrase “companies that refused to cooperate,” which alludes to the group’s strategy of using threats and ensuing data dumps to force victims into cooperation.
Yakult Australia is one of the 20 victims the gang has so far attacked. It’s crucial to remember that the DragonForce behind this attack does not seem to be connected to DragonForce Malaysia, a hacktivist collective that frequently targets Middle Eastern government institutions.
Yakult Australia is looking into the cyber incident seriously, and more information will be released as it becomes available. The business reaffirmed its dedication to cybersecurity and said it is making every effort to determine the entire extent of the hack.
The incident has been acknowledged, and the company’s website now prominently displays a “important message” modal. The modal used to be blank earlier in the week, but it is now used as an incident notice to let users know about the current state of affairs. The incident that affected Yakult Australia and New Zealand serves as a reminder of the ongoing risks that businesses — including those in the food and beverage industry — face.
The event emphasises how crucial it is to have strong cybersecurity safeguards in place in order to protect sensitive data and keep operations running smoothly. Businesses in a variety of industries need to prioritise cybersecurity and be alert as DragonForce carries out its frightening campaign in order to prevent future assaults and safeguard the integrity of their operations. The event is a clear reminder of how constantly changing cyberthreats can be and how important it is for modern defences to be proactive.
