On August 10 Seiko revealed that it had identified a possible data breach on July 28, with someone gaining access to at least one server. They issued a statement that included the following –

“It appears that [on July 28, 2023] some as-yet-unidentified party or parties gained unauthorized access to at least one of our servers,” reads Seiko’s announcement.

“Subsequently, on August 2nd, we commissioned a team of external cybersecurity experts to investigate and assess the situation.”

“As a result, we are now reasonably certain that there was a breach and that some information stored by our Company and/or our Group companies may have been compromised.”

Seiko refused to respond to extortion requests. Notorious ransomware group BlackCat aka ALPHV have now taken credit for the attack and started leaking files apparently taken from Seiko systems.

They have published half a dozen screenshots on their site as evidence of their breach claim, and are threatening more leaks if Seiko does not meet their demands.

BlackCat/ ALPHV claim to have stolen 2 Tb worth of files, including employee information, production technology details, video and audio recordings of management meetings, emails, and copies of passports belonging to employees and non-Japanese visitors.

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