Honda Hit by Global Cyberattack Disrupting Production Worldwide
Honda confirmed a cyberattack on its global network, disrupting operations across multiple regions, including the UK, North America, Turkey, Italy, and Japan. The incident, suspected to involve Ekans (Snake) ransomware a strain targeting industrial control systems forced the automaker to halt production and send factory workers home.
The attack, which compromised an internal server, impacted Honda’s ability to access computer systems, email, and other critical infrastructure. While the company stated that no data breach occurred, it acknowledged the virus had spread across its network, affecting production, sales, and development activities. Efforts are underway to restore full functionality, with some sites expected to resume operations later this week.
Cybersecurity experts suggest the attack may have leveraged COVID-19-themed phishing lures, a tactic increasingly used by hackers to exploit pandemic-related anxieties. The incident aligns with a broader surge in ransomware attacks, with insurer Beazley reporting a 25% increase in client breaches in early 2020 compared to the previous year.
Honda, which employs nearly 220,000 people worldwide, described the business impact as minimal but did not disclose further details on the attack’s origin or whether a ransom demand was made. The company’s Swindon plant, set to close in 2021, was among the affected facilities.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52982427
Honda cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/honda
"id": "HON1780526772",
"linkid": "honda",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "1/2020",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Automotive',
'location': ['UK',
'North America',
'Turkey',
'Italy',
'Japan'],
'name': 'Honda',
'size': '220,000 employees worldwide',
'type': 'Corporation'}],
'attack_vector': 'Phishing (COVID-19-themed lures)',
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'No data exfiltration reported'},
'description': 'Honda confirmed a cyberattack on its global network, '
'disrupting operations across multiple regions, including the '
'UK, North America, Turkey, Italy, and Japan. The incident, '
'suspected to involve Ekans (Snake) ransomware, a strain '
'targeting industrial control systems, forced the automaker to '
'halt production and send factory workers home. The attack '
'compromised an internal server, impacting Honda’s ability to '
'access computer systems, email, and other critical '
'infrastructure. While no data breach occurred, the virus '
'spread across its network, affecting production, sales, and '
'development activities.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': 'No data breach occurred',
'operational_impact': 'Production halt, sales and development '
'activities disrupted',
'systems_affected': ['Computer systems',
'Email',
'Critical infrastructure']},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
'ransomware': {'data_exfiltration': 'No data exfiltration reported',
'ransomware_strain': 'Ekans (Snake)'},
'references': [{'source': 'Cybersecurity news reports'}],
'response': {'containment_measures': 'Production halted, efforts underway to '
'restore functionality',
'recovery_measures': 'Some sites expected to resume operations '
'later in the week'},
'title': 'Honda Hit by Global Cyberattack Disrupting Production Worldwide',
'type': 'Ransomware'}