Yokohama OHT suffered cyber attack in June – reports

At the end of June, at least some of Yokohama OHT’s computer systems were attacked by the Akira Ransomware Group. According to reports by two online media sources, the Akira group launched its cyber attack on Yokohama OHT on 21 June 2023.

However, despite Tyre & Accessories’s questions as well as requests for information form at least two more media sources, the company has not confirmed the details of the reported attack. As a result, the exact reasons for and consequences of the attach are unclear. However, as their name suggests, ransomware attacks are generally associated with a financial motivation.

According to The Cyber Express, “Akira ransomware group is a relatively new ransomware group on the market that has claimed a limited number of victims. The group, however, has been breaching corporate networks across the globe, encrypting files, and then demanding exorbitant ransoms, often reaching thousands of dollars.” 16 victims of the Akira group had been record by July 2023.

Akira differs from many ransomware attacks inasmuch as it also tends to “steal sensitive corporate data before encrypting files”, according to Cyber Express, which added: “This stolen information serves as leverage in their extortion attempts, warning victims that their data will be made public unless a hefty ransom is paid.”