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Japanese motor vehicle giant Kawasaki recently confirmed that its European operations are recovering from a cyberattack, which has caused disruptions over the past week. The attack, claimed by the notorious ransomware group RansomHub, temporarily crippled Kawasaki’s server network, but the company has since made significant strides toward restoring its systems.
Kawasaki Motors Europe released a statement acknowledging that while the cyberattack wasn’t fully successful, it did necessitate immediate action. The company responded by isolating its servers and launching a strategic recovery plan on the same day. According to Kawasaki, this precautionary move involved the temporary disconnection of all servers across its European offices to prevent further compromise.
“Given the scale of our operations, it was crucial to isolate each server and put a comprehensive cleansing process in place. All data was meticulously checked for suspicious material,” Kawasaki said. The company collaborated with external cybersecurity advisors to carry out the process, ensuring that any unauthorized information or potential malware was eradicated.
Kawasaki’s European IT department spent the following week health-checking all servers and working to restore interconnectivity between them. As of early this week, more than 90% of server functionality had been restored, allowing the company to resume normal business operations with motor vehicle dealers and third-party suppliers.
The attack was first claimed by RansomHub, a rising name in the ransomware world. In a post on the dark web, RansomHub claimed to have stolen 487 gigabytes of data from Kawasaki Motors Europe. Despite these claims, Kawasaki has yet to confirm the extent of the data breach publicly, and the company has not responded to requests for further comment on the specifics of the attack.
Cybersecurity experts have flagged RansomHub as a major emerging threat, labeling it as the de-facto successor to other defunct ransomware gangs like LockBit and AlphV. According to the FBI and other law enforcement bodies, affiliates of RansomHub have been linked to attacks on at least 210 organizations globally.
This latest incident underscores the ongoing risks posed by ransomware gangs, particularly in targeting large multinational corporations. Kawasaki reported more than $3 billion in earnings last quarter, making it an attractive target for cybercriminals looking to extort high-profile victims.
The company’s swift action in isolating and cleansing its servers, combined with external cybersecurity expertise, allowed Kawasaki to limit the long-term damage from the attack. However, the incident is a reminder of the growing prevalence of ransomware attacks, even against organizations with robust security measures.
As RansomHub gains momentum, cybersecurity agencies around the world are honing in on its affiliates, attempting to disrupt their operations. In light of this attack, cybersecurity experts are once again urging businesses, particularly in critical industries like manufacturing, to strengthen their defenses against ransomware.
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