Toyota Motor Corp has been forced to shut down its domestic factory operations following an apparent cyberattack. The company said Tuesday that one of its plastic parts and electronic components suppliers were hit by a suspected hack.
The Japanese auto giant said its output capacity would be reduced by around 13,000 units per day due to its factory operations suspension. The supplier, Kojima Industries Corp, confirmed that it appears to have been the victim of a cyber attack. The extent of the attack or details behind its motive was not stated.
The cyberattack comes as Japan joined the U.S. and the European Union in imposing sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Japanese officials said they do not yet know if the two are related.
On Sunday, Japan announced that it would join the U.S. and other western countries in blocking Russia's access to the SWIFT international payment system. The Japanese government also committed to providing Ukraine with financial support, stating that it would be sending $100 million in emergency aid.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he has already ordered an investigation into the matter. He said it is still difficult to say if Russia had anything to do with the attack, but the outcome of the investigation should help clear things up.
Toyota said the "supplier system failure" has forced it to shut down 14 manufacturing facilities in Japan. The affected facilities include those under Toyota's affiliates, Daihatsu and Hino Motors. The factories account for about a third of the company's global production. Toyota said it isn't yet sure if the issue will be resolved within the next 24 hours.
Toyota, which has been a victim of cyber-attacks in the past, is a pioneer in Just-In-Time manufacturing. Because the parts that arrive from suppliers are immediately used in production, the company does not stockpile any components.
In 2014, Sony was the victim of a major cyberattack that shut down its computer systems and exposed sensitive corporate data. The attack was traced back to North Korea, which likely retaliated after the company released the movie "The Interview." The comedy movie had made fun of the nation's leader, Kim Jong Un.
Toyota is already dealing with supply issues due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. The company has recently announced that it will be reducing its production output due to supply issues. Last month, the company said it would reduce its output in North America due to the ongoing Canadian trucker protests.
