Toyota suspends all domestic factory operations after suspected cyber attack

The Toyota logo is seen at a booth during a media day for the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, China, April 19, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo

TOKYO, Feb 28 (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said it will suspend all domestic factory operations on Tuesday losing around 13,000 cars after one a company supplying plastic parts and electronic component was hit by a suspected cyber attack.

No information was immediately available about who was behind the attack or the motive. The attack comes just after Japan joined Western allies in clamping down on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine, although it was not clear if the attack was at all related.

A spokesperson at the supplier, Kojima Industries Corp, said it appeared to be some kind of cyber attack. A spokesperson from Toyota described it as a “supplier system failure.”

The production halt comes as the world’s biggest automaker is tackling supply chain disruptions around the world caused by the COVID pandemic that has forced it and other carmakers to curb output.

Toyota this month also saw some production stopped in North America due to parts shortages caused by the Canadian trucker protests. read more

Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama, Maki Shiraki and Tim Kelly Editing by Louise Heavens

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