Nichirin-Flex U.S.A, a subsidiary of the Japanese car and motorcycle hose maker Nichirin, has been hit by a ransomware attack causing the company to take the network offline.
The firm’s website had to be taken down temporarily until experts were able to determine the extent of the ransomware attack impact, but it’s now back online.
For now, the U.S. network segment remains isolated from the rest of Nichirin’s infrastructure, and there are no signs that the ransomware actors were able to pivot outside of it.
In a separate notice, Nichirin is warning clients and employees of the possibility of receiving emails that impersonate the firm, suggesting that the ransomware attack was possible through phishing.
Ransomware actors have shown increased interest in targeting suppliers of parts that are essential in automotive production.
Recent examples of ransomware attacks hitting automotive industry suppliers is the March 2022 cyberattack on DENSO, one of the world’s largest automotive component manufacturers, who was compromised by the Pandora ransomware gang.
