National Police Agency officials said 53 Japanese companies have been targeted by the Qilin ransomware group. A Russian national suspected of being a key member was handed to Germany.
A total of 53 companies in Japan have been targeted by the ransomware group Qilin, National Police Agency officials said on Thursday, Kyodo News reported. Qilin is an internationally active group that Japanese investigators also link to a 2025 cyberattack on beverage maker Asahi Group Holdings.
Kyodo said investigative authorities recently handed Germany a detained Russian national suspected of being a key member of the group. German authorities have since arrested him, the report said.
The digest did not name the 53 companies or say how many paid a ransom. The Asahi attack is earlier context, not a new incident on Thursday.
The police figure is the new count. It is an official tally of targets, not a count of confirmed data leaks.
Kyodo did not report a new arrest in Japan on Thursday.