*Full impact of the suspected malware attack has not yet been determined but report indicates Russia has been implicated due to Japan’s joining Western allies and blocking Russian banks’ access to the SWIFT international payment network in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Suspected cyberattack hit one of Toyota’s suppliers of electronic components and plastic parts at one of its plants in Japan, wiping out 13,000 cars’ worth of output.

ConsumerConnect gathered the global automaker said it was suspending all Japanese operations until the company would have an opportunity to investigate the situation and restore factory operations to normal.

Report also indicates that it is unknown who was responsible for the attack or what their reason was, but NikkeiAsia report said that malware was involved.

Russia has been implicated due to Japan’s joining Western allies and blocking Russian banks’ access to the SWIFT international payment network in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Fumio Kishida, Japanese Prime Minister, said the government would launch a probe into the incident to determine whether Russia was involved or not.

Kishida told reporters: “It is difficult to say whether this has anything to do with Russia before making thorough checks.

“As for Toyota’s official stance on the matter, a spokesperson for the company described it as a “supplier system failure.”

Effect malware attack on production

All told, 28 lines at 14 Toyota plants – plus some plants operated by Toyota’s affiliates Hino Motors and Daihatsu – were shut down because of the incident.

Toyota has not said exactly how long the shutdown will last, but the spokesperson said it would last for more than a day.

It is also noted that Toyota had experienced cyberattacks in the past in Japan and Australia.

However, this time around though, the company also has to contend with supply chain issues that have been exacerbated by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Those conditions were made worse when protesters prevented trucks from passing through U.S-Canadian borders to deliver parts to North American Toyota factories.