Several Japanese firms have been hit by escalating ransomeware attacks, Japan Times reports. The recent example of Kojima Industries, a small automotive supply concern, was the harbinger of larger attacks to come. The company was hacked in February of 2022, bringing the entire Toyota production line to a halt, requiring the automaker to pause operations at 14 factories. Even once these factories were restored to operational status, it took Kojima months to restore its old routines.
“Japan had a difficult year to deal with more cyberattacks on industry, government and the health care sector,” said Mihoko Masubara, the chief cybersecurity strategist at Japanese telecommunications company NTT. More than just manufacturing, attacks have also hit several hospitals that have delayed surgeries and other treatments. In response to these attacks, the Japanese government said it would “begin monitoring potential attackers and hack their systems as soon as signs of a potential risk are established.”
