Cyber attack shuts Toyota factories, Australian impact unclear – UPDATE: Production to resume

UPDATE, 2 March 2022: Production at Toyota's 14 factories will resume today (March 2), the company has confirmed, following the cessation of manufacturing yesterday due to a cyber attack targeted at major Toyota parts supplier Kojima Industries

"Due to a system failure at a domestic supplier (KOJIMA INDUSTRIES CORPORATION), we suspended our operations on all 28 lines at 14 domestic plants in Japan today, Tuesday, March 1. However, we have decided to resume all operations from the first shift tomorrow, Wednesday, March 2," an official Toyota statement reads.

Toyota has not confirmed how many vehicles were scheduled to be produced yesterday – nor has Toyota Australia outlined how it may be affected by the one-day shutdown.

Our original story continues below.

Alex Misoyannis

1 March 2022, 11:30am: Automotive giant Toyota has been forced to shut all 14 of its factories in Japan, after key parts supplier Kojima Industries was the target of a major cyberattack overnight – however, it's so far unclear how Australian supply will be affected.

The digital security breach came just hours after the Japanese government announced new sanctions on Russia as well as plans to supply Ukraine with $US100 million in military aid, and local authorities have not ruled out the involvement of malicious foreign actors.

"It is difficult to say whether this has anything to do with Russia before making thorough checks," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters, according to Forbes.

However, experts from Nozomi Networks – a US-based software firm – have suggested "typical ransomware" is a more probable explanation.

"It’s certainly possible that the Russian Government is behind the attack or one of its cybercriminal organisations, but it looks more like a typical ransomware or other play against a target of opportunity," said Rich Armour, an advisor at Nozomi Networks and the former chief information security officer at General Motors.

"Cybersecurity has been on ongoing challenge in the global automotive supply chain ... Most major automotive original equipment manufacturers have tens of thousands of suppliers ranging in size from Fortune 500 businesses to small family-owned enterprises, so the quality and coverage of cybersecurity controls has been inconsistent at best."

A claimed 28 production lines have been impacted by the shutdown, and Toyota is yet to confirm how many vehicles will be affected or when production is expected to resume.

An official statement from the manufacturer said: "We apologise to our relevant suppliers and customers for any inconvenience this may cause ... We will also continue to work with our suppliers in strengthening the supply chain and make every effort to deliver vehicles to our customers as soon as possible."

The marque builds an estimated 24,000 cars daily, making it the world's biggest automotive manufacturer. Unconfirmed overseas estimates have suggested this figure could fall by 13,000 for every day the Japanese plants remain closed.

A spokesperson for Toyota Australia was contacted by Drive for comment on the local ramifications of the shutdown. This story will be updated when more information becomes available.

Toyota has already faced widespread production slowdowns over the past two years – primarily due to the ongoing semiconductor chip shortage.

Meanwhile, the crisis in Ukraine has had wide-reaching implications on the automotive industry. Manufacturers with production facilities in Russia – most notably Renault – have had billions wiped from their valuation in less than a week, while "the highest fuel prices on record" are expected in the coming weeks.

William Davis