As per Japan’s biggest taxi operator namely Nihon Kotsu the transport company suffered a cyberattack early Saturday morning on July 11th. Nihan Kotsu boasts of annual revenue amounting to around $1 billion. The organization has over 18,000 employees. Also, it has a fleet of more than 8,500 taxis as well as over 2,000 chauffer automobiles. Nihon Kotsu disclosed that their internal systems suffered unauthorized access meaning malware infection.

Taxi Operations Temporarily Halted

As a precautionary measure, the company has isolated the affected systems to prevent the spread of the malware. As of now no ransomware or extortion group has claimed responsibility for the cyber-attack. The company’s services to customers are temporarily suspended and hence not available. The former has suggested that customers use the popular GO taxi app or approach taxis directly.

Official Statement of Nihon Kotsu

The leading Japanese taxi operator has notified the law enforcement authorities and data protection agencies a step mandated by regulatory requirements. The official statement issued by Nihon Kotsu is as follows. “We have recently discovered that our internal systems have been subjected to unauthorized external access.” “We deeply apologize for the great inconvenience and concern caused to our customers, business partners, and all related parties due to this incident.”

Caution Urged to Prevent Phishing

Nihon Kotsu has roped in external cybersecurity experts to examine the extent of the breach. The company has said it will notify the affected individuals or business partners if their data has been compromised. Nihon Kotsu has urged its customers to be wary of emails or messages claiming to be originating from the former.  They could be potentially part of a phishing campaign targeting the taxi company.

FAQs

1. What happened to Japan’s biggest taxi operator?

Japan’s largest taxi operator, Nihon Kotsu, was hit by a cyberattack that resulted in a malware infection. To prevent the attack from spreading, the company shut down parts of its IT infrastructure, affecting several customer services. (BleepingComputer)

2. Which services were disrupted by the cyberattack?

The attack disrupted multiple services, including the telephone taxi dispatch system, online car hire reservations, booking management, and some internal business systems. Customers were advised to use the GO taxi app or hail taxis from nearby taxi stands while systems were being restored. (BleepingComputer)

3. Was customer data stolen during the attack?

As of the latest updates, Nihon Kotsu has not confirmed any data breach or personal information leak. However, the company is continuing its investigation with cybersecurity experts and has stated that affected individuals will be notified if any data exposure is discovered. (Security Affairs)

4. How did Nihon Kotsu respond to the cyberattack?

The company immediately disconnected affected systems, isolated its network, engaged external cybersecurity specialists, and informed the relevant authorities. These actions were taken to contain the malware and safely restore normal operations. (BleepingComputer)

5. What can other transportation companies learn from this incident?

The incident highlights the importance of strong cybersecurity practices such as network monitoring, regular software updates, employee awareness training, secure backups, and a well-prepared incident response plan. Rapid action can help limit damage and reduce service disruptions during a cyberattack. (SC Media)

SOURCES:-

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/japans-largest-taxi-operator-shuts-systems-after-cyberattack/?shem=dsdf,sharefoc,agadiscoversdl,,sh/x/discover/m1/4

https://www.rescana.com/post/nihon-kotsu-cyberattack-analysis-malware-disruption-of-japan-s-largest-taxi-dispatch-and-reservation-systems-in-july-202

https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/japans-largest-taxi-operator-nihon-kotsu-hit-by-cyberattack-which-forces-systems-to-be-shut-down

https://thecyberexpress.com/nihon-kotsu-cyberattack/

https://cybernews.com/cybercrime/japan-taxi-cyberattack-nihon-kotsu/

https://www.scworld.com/brief/japans-largest-taxi-operator-suffers-cyberattack-disrupts-services