Global Courant
TOKYO — Japan’s largest seaport was paralyzed by an alleged Russian cyber-attack, disrupting cargo as operators scrambled to avoid a greater delay in shipments.
Ransomware — used by hackers to lock down access to files or systems unless a payment is made — caused a container terminal at the Port of Nagoya in Aichi prefecture to go down Tuesday morning, the Nagoya Harbor Transportation Authority said Wednesday.
The authority said operations were expected to resume at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday (7:30 a.m. in Singapore).
As more Asian ports automate and move away from paper documentation, hackers are a growing problem for the region’s shipping networks. Cybercriminals have targeted European ports in recent years, with pro-Russian groups claiming responsibility for an attack on one of the continent’s largest ports in June.
The Nagoya Port Authority said Russia-based ransomware group Lockbit 3.0 was responsible for the hack, Kyodo News reported Wednesday.
Ransomware attackers often target vulnerabilities in VPNs and remote desktop protocols, said Ms. Mihoko Matsubara, NTT’s chief cybersecurity strategist. She said such breaches are responsible for 80 percent of ransomware attacks in Japan.
“It is critical for businesses to update or patch software they use to run their business,” said Matsubara.
Nagoya is one of many ports worldwide that have recently been targeted by malware.
Last Christmas, hackers broke into computer systems in the Portuguese port of Lisbon, halting work for days. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, India’s busiest container port, also suffered a ransomware attack in 2022. In 2021, the South African port and rail company was targeted by a form of ransomware that cybersecurity experts have linked to groups in Eastern Europe and Russia.
Recent data breaches often involve “double extortion” where ransom demands are made to recover stolen information and prevent it from being published, said Mr. David Suzuki, CEO of Blackpanda, a Singapore-based cybersecurity firm.
Toyota Motor, the world’s largest automaker by units sold, said Tuesday’s attack in Nagoya would not affect shipments of new cars, but imported and exported parts could not be loaded or unloaded at the port until the problem was resolved. dissolved. There is currently no impact on production, according to a spokesman.
Authorities in Japan say such attacks are on the rise. In 2022, a cyber attack on one of Toyota’s suppliers in Aichi Prefecture forced the company to shut down operations at 14 factories. BLOOMBERG
