Cyberattack forces Toyota to shut down manufacturing

Toyota has been forced to shut down manufacturing after a cyberattack targeted 14 factories.

The attack hit Kojima Industries Corp, Hino Motors and other sites where third party suppliers operate.

Just a day before the attack, Japanese Prime minister Fumio Kishida made an announcement regarding conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

He confirmed Japan would join the U.S, the EU and other nations in imposing sanction on Russia in response to the conflict, including blocking Russian banks from using the SWIFT system, the world’s major international payment circuit.

The timing of the cyberattack prompted a government investigation to determine the cause.

“It is difficult to say whether this has anything to do with Russia before making thorough checks,” Kishida said.

The attack affected nearly every model in the line-up, including the Crown, Yaris, Mirai, Corolla, RAV4, CH-R, Land Cruiser, and the Prius.

This attack will reportedly lead to production delays for more than 13,000 vehicles across the line-up.

The issue is also likely to get worse before it gets better, because both Russia (sales and manufacturing) and Ukraine (raw and rare materials) are crucial for automakers, including Toyota.

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie