Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

SecurityWeekSecurityWeek

Security Infrastructure

Japan’s Largest Defense Contractor Hit by Cyber Attack

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Japan’s largest defense contractor, has been a victim of a cyber attack, according to a report from the company. The company said attackers had gained access to company computer systems, with some reports saying the attacks targeted its submarine, missile and nuclear power plant component businesses.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Hacked

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Japan’s largest defense contractor, has been a victim of a cyber attack, according to a report from the company. The company said attackers had gained access to company computer systems, with some reports saying the attacks targeted its submarine, missile and nuclear power plant component businesses.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Hacked

“We can’t rule out small possibilities of further information leakage but so far crucial data about our products or technologies have been kept safe,” a Mitsubishi Heavy spokesman told Reuters. “We’ve found out that some system information such as IP addresses have been leaked and that’s creepy enough,” the spokesman added.

According to The Yomiuri newspaper, approximately 80 systems had been infected with malware at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo, as well as manufacturing and research and development sites, including Kobe Shipyard & Machinery Works, Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works and Nagoya Guidance & Propulsion System Works. A company spokesperson told SecurityWeek that 45 servers and 38 PCs in MHI’s production plants and offices (more than 10) were infected.

The company reportedly first noticed the cyber attack on August 11th.

“It’s probably just the first that hacking attacks in Japan have been detected. It’s consistent with what we’ve seen already with big American defense companies,” Andrew Davies, a cyber-warfare analyst with the government backed defense think-tank, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told Reuters.

The company manufactures many weapons systems and aircraft including Patriot missiles, under license from Raytheon, F-15J Fighter Jets, under license from Boeing, and several other guided weapons systems.

While some have speculated that China may behind the attacks, the company told SecurityWeek that, at present, they have no clues as to who was behind the attacks. The company is expected to release additional information and an updated statement following further investigation.

Related Reading:

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Lockheed Martin Acknowledges “Tenacious” Cyber Attack

Three Lessons from the RSA Hack, from a Customer’s Perspective

Foreign Cyber Attack Hits Canadian Government

Guerilla Cyber Warfare: Are We Thinking Defensively?

Written By

For more than 15 years, Mike Lennon has been closely monitoring the threat landscape and analyzing trends in the National Security and enterprise cybersecurity space. In his role at SecurityWeek, he oversees the editorial direction of the publication and is founder and director of several leading cybersecurity industry conferences around the world.

Click to comment

Trending

Daily Briefing Newsletter

Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest threats, trends, and technology, along with insightful columns from industry experts.

Discover strategies for vendor selection, integration to minimize redundancies, and maximizing ROI from your cybersecurity investments. Gain actionable insights to ensure your stack is ready for tomorrow’s challenges.

Register

Dive into critical topics such as incident response, threat intelligence, and attack surface management. Learn how to align cyber resilience plans with business objectives to reduce potential impacts and secure your organization in an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Register

People on the Move

Gigamon has promoted Tony Jarjoura to CFO and Ram Bhide has been hired as Senior VP of engineering.

Cloud security firm Mitiga has appointed Charlie Thomas as Chief Executive Officer.

Cynet announced the appointment of Jason Magee as Chief Executive Officer.

More People On The Move

Expert Insights

Daily Briefing Newsletter

Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest cybersecurity news, threats, and expert insights. Unsubscribe at any time.