Askul Ransomware Fallout: Retail Giant Admits Around 740K Data Sets Were Compromised

One month after confirming it was hit by a ransomware attack, Japanese retail giant Askul has admitted that some 740,000 sets of data were leaked in said attack. Said data sets, according to the office supplies retailer, concerns individual customers, corporate clients, and employees.

Askul said that of the 740,00 data sets, approximately 590,000 were linked to the company’s office supplies sales service for corporate customers, while around 130,000 were related to its “Lohaco” e-commerce service for individual customers.

The company added that it has reported its findings to the Personal Information Protection Commission on Friday. It also said that it has begun to get in touch with affected customers and business parners. However, it maintains that the leakage did not expose individual customers’ credit card information. It added that no ransom has been paid.

Askul Gets Attacked in October: What Happened?

The ransomware attack on Askul in October was purportedly perpetrated by the cybercrime group RansomHouse. The initial attack disrupted the company’s operations across its e-commerce platforms and adversely impacted the business of major Japanese retailers, like Ryohin, The Loft, and Muji, both of which rely on Askul’s wide logistics network.

RansomHouse, which claimed to have been behind the attack, said that it stole 1.1TB of data, and Askul’s latest admission of some 740,000 leaked data sets may have just confirmed the initial claim. Additionaly, the retail giant previously announced that the RansomHouse attack exposed contact information and inquiry details of Askul, Lohaco, and Soloel Arena users, as well as supplier data stored on the company’s internal servers.

Moreover, the retail company confirmed that the cyberattack in October halted order and shipping operations. The company, in a statement, has also announed it is gradually restoring systems in stages, with plans to resume its logistics system operations today.