A central member of the Russia-based hacker group Qilin was arrested in Osaka, and extradition proceedings are under way in cooperation with German authorities. Approximately 4,000 companies worldwide have reportedly been targeted in ransomware attacks, including 53 companies in Japan.
The globally active hacker group Qilin (キリン) is believed to have targeted approximately 4,000 companies worldwide in attacks using ransomware since October 2022, with damage confirmed at 53 companies in Japan. The attacks reportedly affected a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, services, construction and hospitals, and also disrupted the operations of business partners.
According to the National Police Agency, German authorities had obtained an arrest warrant for a 28-year-old Russian national believed to be a central member of Qilin. Japanese investigative authorities learned that he had entered Japan in May this year and detained him at a hotel in Osaka that month. He was subsequently held at a domestic correctional facility and extradited to Germany by October, where he was arrested. The National Police Agency, the Metropolitan Police Department, Osaka Prefectural Police and Kyoto Prefectural Police were involved in the detention.
Qilin is believed to have multiple central members responsible for developing and managing ransomware, providing tools to numerous affiliates and carrying out attacks worldwide.