- Advantest detected a ransomware attack on February 15, isolating affected systems
- Investigation in progress; it is unclear whether customer or employee data was stolen
- The semiconductor industry is increasingly targeted, following previous attacks against Microchip and Applied Materials
Japanese semiconductor test equipment supplier Advantest has confirmed that it recently fell victim to a ransomware attack.
In a company press release, Advantest said on Sunday (February 15) that it had spotted “unusual activity” within its IT environment. The company 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 accessed portions of the company’s network and deployed ransomware,” the statement said.
Target the semiconductor industry
So far, the investigation is ongoing and Advantest does not know if any data was stolen or how many people may have been affected.
“If our investigation determines that customer or employee data has been affected, we will notify those affected directly and provide them with advice on protective measures,” it explains. “This investigation is actively ongoing and is being conducted in close collaboration with leading cybersecurity experts. Advantest is focused on understanding the full scope of this incident while strengthening all possible defenses.”
Advantest Corporation is a Tokyo-based Japanese technology company that designs and manufactures automatic test equipment (ATE) used to verify and measure semiconductors and advanced electronic components during manufacturing.
The company employs around 6,500 people worldwide and had 2024 net operating profit of 161.2 billion yen ($1.04 billion). Its largest customers tend to be the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers and technology companies, such as major memory and logic chip makers in South Korea, Taiwan and elsewhere.
Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting organizations in the semiconductor industry, The file complaints.
The attack on Advantest follows the attack on Microchip in 2024 and the Applied Materials incident the year before. Before that, in 2022, Chinese company Nexperia and Taiwanese company Foxsemicon were also reported to have been hit by ransomware.
Via The file
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