Honda USA restarting production after cyber attack

Honda has once again kicked off production in the USA, after a cyber attack crippled its global computer network.

The attack hit on June 7, according to Jalopnik, which quotes unnamed Honda employees claiming they’d been advised not to log in to the company’s internal software.

“Honda has notified us that their systems are down due to Ransomware,” an internal message published on Jalopnik says.

“All Honda US locations are impacted… USE EXTREME CAUTION IF OPENING ANY EMAIL FROM HONDA.”

Jalopnik reports a type of malware designed to target the control systems prevalent in manufacturing plants could be behind the shutdown.

It’s believed the attack has also impacted Honda in Japan and Europe.

Honda has confirmed it was the victim of a “cyberattack that has affected production operations at some US plants”.

“However, there is no current evidence of loss of personally identifiable information,” it said in a statement published on Automotive News.

“We have resumed production in most plants and are currently working toward the return to production of our auto and engine plants in Ohio.”

The company hasn’t yet confirmed whether the attack was carried out by hackers holding its computer systems hostage in search of a ransom, commonly known as ransomware, or another form of cyberattack.

The brief production shutdown comes after a two-month shutdown for Honda in the USA, forced by lockdowns designed to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

This isn’t the first time Honda has fallen victim to a software attack. The company was hit by the global WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017, along with Renault and Nissan.