From the 'What Next?' Files: Honda Production Idled by Cyber Attack

Production of certain Honda vehicles ran into another roadblock on Monday, as the automaker claims it was the victim of a cyber attack.

Reuters reports that production ceased at many of Honda’s manufacturing facilities in the wake of the suspected attack out of fear that quality control processes may have been compromised.

After dealing with supply chain issues since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, not to mention the resulting production shutdown in North America and depressed sales across the globe, a cyber breach is the last thing the automaker needs.

A company spokesperson told Reuters that the ransomware targeted the company’s internal servers.

From Reuters:

Production resumed at most of the plants by Tuesday, but its main plant in Ohio, as well as those in Turkey, India and Brazil remain suspended as the ransomware disputed the company’s production systems, he said.

Honda Manufacturing of Ohio builds the Honda Accord and CR-V, as well as the Acura ILX and TLX sedans and RDX and MDX crossovers. The NSX rolls out of Marysville, too, but production of that vehicle can handle sudden downtime without inconveniencing many customers. In total, Honda boasts five U.S. auto assembly plants, in addition to numerous components plants and facilities for everything from lawnmowers to aircraft.

BBC reports that Honda confirmed the attack, adding that the “virus had spread” throughout its network.

“Work is being undertaken to minimize the impact and to restore full functionality of production, sales and development activities,” the automaker stated.

Who exactly staged the attack remains anyone’s guess, and likely will for all time.

[Image: Honda]