Advantest Corporation, the Japanese technology company and prominent manufacturer of testing equipment for the semiconductor industry, has been hit by a ransomware attack. In a statement released on February 19, the company, which is a supplier to major chip producers including Samsung, said it was “responding to a cybersecurity incident involving ransomware that may have impacted certain systems within its network.” Headquartered in Tokyo, Advantest employees over 7500 people and has offices in locations around the world, including Munich, Germany and San Jose, California. The company describes itself as “a global leader in semiconductor test solutions” and it tests chips used to power services including 5G communications, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, autonomous vehicles and…