Cyberattack Forces Honda to Close Factories in Midwest & Middle East
Following a recent ransomware attack, Honda temporarily closed its Ohio and Turkey facilities.
Last week, Honda fell prey to an all-too-common problem plaguing many corporations: cyber crime. The company had its security breached when hackers targeted facilities in Ohio and Turkey. As a result, Honda was forced to unplug and temporarily go offline.
“Honda has experienced a cyberattack that has affected production operations at some U.S. plants,” Chris Abbruzzese, a spokesman for Honda North America, told Popular Mechanics. “However, there is no current evidence of loss of personally identifiable information. We have resumed production in most plants and are currently working toward the return to production of our auto and engine plants in Ohio.”
Honda was quick to identify the nature of the attack. Additionally, the automaker brought in cyber security experts MalwareBytes.
“On June 8, a researcher shared samples of ransomware that supposedly was aimed at Honda and ENEL INT,” MalwareBytes posted. “When we started looking at the code, we found several [artifacts] that corroborate this possibility.”
A ransomware attack occurs when hackers illegally gain access to a system. Often the aim is to hold a network’s information “hostage” until a “ransom” is paid. Hackers can employ a number of means to cripple a system including viruses, spyware, Trojan horses, and more.
This attack appears to be a new and particularly virulent type of ransomware known as “Ekans.” Ekans ransomware is designed specifically for industrial systems such as manufacturing. Honda is reportedly the first major company to be hit.
As cyber criminals become more sophisticated, so too must companies evolve to ensure safety. The automaker was able to identify and shit down the attack quickly. No customer information appears to have breached or compromised. The car manufacturer will be digging deeper into the hack, and we hope to have more details as the investigation continues.
The Marysville, Ohio plant is certainly an ambitious target. The 4-million square-foot facility is one of Honda’s largest. It opened in 1982 to produce the Accord. Over time the flagship facility has expanded to include the CR-V, Acura TLX, ILX, and more.
Photos: Honda
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