“WannaCry” virus is making them tear.
From the British National Health Service to the Russian Interior Ministry and everything in between, the “WannaCry” ransomware cyberattack has been sweeping across Europe and picking apart organisations one by one. It was only a matter of time before the malicious software started coming at carmakers, and the first victim was the Renault-Nissan Alliance, specifically targeting the two namesake marques that make up the conglomerate.
A Renault spokesperson told the AFP that they “have been affected,” and that they are “doing what is needed to counter this attack.” A Renault subsidiary in Slovenia was forced to halt production after their computers were compromised. Certain parts of Renault subsidiary Revoz’ information system were affected, and “that led to the halting of production during the night,” confirmed the Renault spokesperson. This facility is responsible for the production of the Renault Twingo and Clio hatchbacks.
“Proactive measures have been put in place, including the temporary suspension of industrial activity at some sites,” continued the Renault spokesperson. Without naming it, Renault’s plant in Sandouville, France was also affected by the ransomware attack. “The problems were mainly related to France, where some of Renault’s factories also faced a malfunctioning of certain parts of its information system.”
By Monday morning, 90% of Renault’s facilities were back to normal after its French and Romanian sites were taken briefly offline to prevent the spread of the virus. Nissan’s enormous UK manufacturing facility in Sunderland was also affected, with a Nissan spokesperson saying “our teams are working to resolve the issue” that saw the plant reportedly halt production for an unspecified period.
Good thing they’re over there, eh.
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