CD Projekt acknowledges stolen data is being circulated online

CD Projekt, the developer behind games such as Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher series, has confirmed that company data obtained during a ransomware attack earlier this year is being circulated online.

In February, the developer had a portion of its internal systems compromised, with hackers from the 'HelloKitty' group obtaining company data as well as encrypting a number of developer devices.

A month later, the stolen data, which includes accounting, administration, legal, HR, and investor relations information, was being auctioned off in a Dark Web "charity fundraising" event organised by the hackers.

On Thursday, CD Projekt issued a statement saying that it had "learned new information regarding the breach", leading the company "to believe that internal data illegally obtained during the attack is currently being circulated on the Internet".

"We are not yet able to confirm the exact contents of the data in question, though we believe it may include current/former employee and contractor details in addition to data related to our games. Furthermore, we cannot confirm whether or not the data involved may have been manipulated or tampered with following the breach," the developer announced, adding that it's "committed and prepared to take action against parties sharing the data in question":

"We would also like to state that — regardless of the authenticity of the data being circulated — we will do everything in our power to protect the privacy of our employees, as well as all other involved parties."

International law enforcement agencies Interpol and Europol have been contacted by the Warsaw-based company, which is also cooperating with Poland's General Police Headquarters as well as multiple external cyber security & IT specialists.

CD Projekt also announced that it had "taken multiple measures to secure and harden [its] internal systems'', in order to prevent similar incidents in the future. The developer has rolled out a new, redesigned core IT infrastructure, implemented next-generation firewalls with advanced anti-malware protection, employed a new remote-access solution, and expanded its internal security department.

Additionally, the company has limited the number of accounts that hold 'privileged' access rights, installed a new mechanism for endpoints, servers, and networks protection, while also improving its event-monitoring strategy.