Olympus Confirms US Cyberattack Following EMEA Ransomware Incident

Olympus Confirms Cyberattack Impacting Operations in the Americas

Olympus, the prominent Japanese technology corporation, has publicly acknowledged experiencing a cybersecurity incident over the recent weekend.

This attack necessitated the temporary shutdown of its IT infrastructure across the United States, Canada, and Latin America.

Incident Details and Response

According to a statement released on the company’s official website, Olympus initiated an investigation on October 10th following the detection of a potential security breach.

Efforts are currently focused on resolving the issue with the utmost urgency.

As a precautionary measure during the investigation and containment process, affected systems were suspended, and relevant external stakeholders were notified.

Initial findings suggest the incident was geographically limited to the Americas, with no evidence of impact on other global regions.

Collaboration with Security Experts

Olympus is actively collaborating with specialized third-party cybersecurity firms to address the situation.

The company remains dedicated to implementing all necessary safeguards to ensure the security of its customers and business partners.

Maintaining the trust of its clientele and partners is considered the organization’s top priority.

The investigation is ongoing, and Olympus is committed to providing transparent updates as new information emerges.

Similar Incident in EMEA Region

This recent event closely mirrors a statement issued by Olympus last month, following a cyberattack targeting its networks in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).

During that prior incident, Olympus also reported investigating a potential cybersecurity breach.

Sources familiar with the previous attack indicated that the company was recovering from a ransomware attack.

A ransom note discovered on compromised systems was reportedly connected to the BlackMatter ransomware-as-a-service group.

Potential for Recurring Attacks

Brett Callow, a leading ransomware expert and threat analyst at Emsisoft, commented to TechCrunch that the timing of this latest incident – occurring over a weekend, a common deployment period for ransomware gangs – raises the possibility of a repeat attack.

He stated that determining whether BlackMatter is responsible again is currently impossible.

It is plausible that the same affiliate involved in the EMEA attack may have opted to utilize different ransomware this time.