Kintetsu World Express (KWE)

In April 2025, Kintetsu World Express (KWE) fell victim to a **ransomware attack** that triggered a major server failure, severely disrupting portions of its operational infrastructure. The incident prompted the establishment of an **Emergency Response Headquarters**, with forensic investigations launched in coordination with external cybersecurity specialists and Japanese law enforcement agencies. While the majority of KWE’s systems remained functional, recovery efforts for the compromised components were still underway, causing delays and operational challenges. The company proactively implemented **precautionary measures** to evaluate and reinforce its cybersecurity posture, though it acknowledged potential risks to customer data. KWE assured stakeholders that services were being maintained with **minimal disruption**, despite the attack’s impact on internal systems. Public apologies were issued for the inconvenience caused, with commitments to notify affected customers if their data was compromised during the breach. The attack underscored vulnerabilities in KWE’s digital defenses, raising concerns over long-term reputational and financial repercussions, particularly if customer data exposure is confirmed.

Source: https://www.kwe.com/news/news/250428.html

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/kintetsu-world-express

"id": "kin618092125",
"linkid": "kintetsu-world-express",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "4/2025",
"severity": "75",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'transportation/logistics',
                        'location': 'Japan',
                        'name': 'Kintetsu World Express (KWE)',
                        'type': 'logistics company'}],
 'customer_advisories': 'customers will be notified if their data is found to '
                        'be impacted',
 'date_detected': '2025-04',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2025-04',
 'description': 'In April 2025, Kintetsu World Express (KWE) confirmed a '
                'ransomware attack that caused a significant server failure, '
                'disrupting parts of its operations. An Emergency Response '
                'Headquarters was established, and forensic investigations are '
                'underway in collaboration with external experts and Japanese '
                'law enforcement. While most systems remain operational, '
                'recovery of the affected components is ongoing. KWE is '
                'assessing and strengthening its cybersecurity measures and '
                'will notify customers if their data is found to be impacted. '
                'Services continue with minimal disruption, and the company '
                'has apologized for the inconvenience caused.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'apology issued for inconvenience',
            'downtime': 'partial (ongoing recovery for affected components)',
            'operational_impact': 'minimal disruption (most systems remain '
                                  'operational)',
            'systems_affected': ['servers']},
 'investigation_status': 'ongoing (forensic investigations in progress)',
 'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['assessing and '
                                                   'strengthening '
                                                   'cybersecurity measures']},
 'ransomware': {'data_encryption': True},
 'response': {'communication_strategy': ['public disclosure',
                                         'customer notifications if data is '
                                         'impacted',
                                         'apology issued'],
              'incident_response_plan_activated': True,
              'law_enforcement_notified': True,
              'recovery_measures': ['ongoing recovery of affected server '
                                    'components'],
              'remediation_measures': ['forensic investigations',
                                       'assessing and strengthening '
                                       'cybersecurity'],
              'third_party_assistance': True},
 'title': 'Ransomware Attack on Kintetsu World Express (April 2025)',
 'type': 'ransomware'}