Major Japanese semiconductor supplier hit by ransomware attack

• Advantest detected ransomware attack on February 15, isolating affected systems
• Investigation ongoing; unclear if customer or employee data was stolen
• Semiconductor industry increasingly targeted, following prior attacks on Microchip and Applied Materials

Japanese semiconductor test equipment supplier Advantest has confirmed suffering a recent ransomware attack.

In a company press release, Advantest said on Sunday, February 15, it spotted “unusual activity” within its IT environment. It quickly activated its incident response protocols, isolating affected systems and engaging third-party cybersecurity experts to contain and mitigate the attack.

“Preliminary findings appear to indicate that an unauthorized third party may have gained access to portions of the company’s network and deployed ransomware,” the announcement reads.

Targeting the ...