Ransom group Kirin damages 53 companies and hospitals in Japan, core members arrested

It has been revealed that German investigative authorities have arrested a 28-year-old man who was extradited from Japan and is a key member of Qilin, a ransomware group that repeatedly attacks companies around the world. The man, a Russian national, was detained by Japanese law enforcement authorities in Osaka in May and extradited to Germany in October. The National Police Agency announced this on the 8th.

Ransomware is a malicious program that encrypts data on your computer and demands a ransom in exchange for recovery.

Kirin is also said to use double extortion tactics, such as threatening to ``publish data'' on the leak site.

According to the National Police Agency, activities by Kirin have been confirmed since around October 2022, and about 4,000 companies around the world have been affected. It is said that 53 businesses, schools, hospitals, etc. were damaged in Japan between April 2023 and the end of September this year.

German investigative authorities obtained an arrest warrant for the man in connection with a ransomware attack on a German company, and the National Police Agency's Cyber ​​Special Investigation Department had previously learned about the man's visit to Japan. A joint investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department, Osaka Prefectural Police, and Kyoto Prefectural Police revealed that the man was staying at a hotel in Osaka. The man was reportedly arrested in May of this year.

The man was then extradited to Germany in October based on the ``Fugitive Extradition Act,'' which stipulates extradition for criminal cases that occurred in other countries.

According to the National Police Agency, Kirin has multiple actors under its ``core members'' who develop viruses, etc., and who use ransomware to infiltrate companies and launch attacks. The man in this case was said to have been one of the core members, and the National Police Agency said, ``We hope that future investigations will shed light on the damage caused in Japan.''