Yakult Australia faced a cyber incident affecting its IT systems in mid-December, as confirmed by the company’s director, David Whatley. The incident’s scope remains under investigation, and Yakult is collaborating with cybersecurity experts to assess the situation urgently. While the attack impacted IT systems in Australia and New Zealand, both offices continue normal operations.
The cybercrime group named DragonForce claimed responsibility for the attack and subsequently leaked 95GB of Yakult Australia’s data. This data dump includes sensitive documents like business records, spreadsheets, credit applications, and even employee identity documents such as passports. DragonForce operates by coercing victims for payment; upon refusal, they publicly disclose stolen assets and data. Yakult Australia’s incident disclosure was also featured on DragonForce’s leak site.
The leak, posted on December 20th, revealed the group’s modus operandi and their intention to expose sensitive company data. Despite this incident, Yakult Australia continues to investigate the breach with no confirmed details on how the attack occurred. DragonForce, known for its extortion tactics, is not associated with DragonForce Malaysia, a different hacktivist group. The cybercrime group has listed 20 victims on its leak site, showcasing a pattern of targeting entities and publicizing stolen information when ransom demands are unmet.
