Nagoya Re-Opens After Ransom Attack

Uploaded on 2023-07-07 in FREE TO VIEW, BUSINESS-Services-Transport & Travel

Container movements at Japan's busiest cargo port fully restarted overningh on6th July eveningfollowing an attack by Russia-based hackers on its computer system caused disruptions for two and a half days. This is the latest in a series of costly attacks on part facilties this year, which have affected a US Navy dockyard and the Port of Lisbon.

Japan’s largest and busiest Port of Nagoya, was shut down after a cyber attack by the Russian LockBit ransomware gang. This disrupted cargo as operators rushed to prevent a wider delay in shipments - as it handles 10% of Japan’s total import and export trade, the two-day closure is likely to have significant knock-on effects.

The port, which accounts for roughly 10% of Japan's total trade volume, operates 21 piers and 290 berths.
It handles over two million containers and cargo tonnage of 165 million every year and now has been closed after the problem hack was discovered, operator Nagoya Harbour Transportation Authority (NHTA) said, and the police have launched an investigation.

One of the major idustrial Japanese firms, Toyota, itself a recent victim of hackers, has been significantly disrupted by the breach.

The attack was uncovered around 6.30am on Tuesday 4th July, when an employee at the NHTA was unable to access the Nagoya United Terminal System (NUTS), which is the computer system used to operate the port’s five cargo terminals.

A ransom note has confirmed that the port had fallen victim to LockBit attack by the notorious hacking gang. The ransom demand amount has not been disclosed.

Repair work on the computer system infected with the virus took longer than scheduled, the Nagoya Harbor Transportation Association said that all container loading and unloading operations at the terminals using trailers were cancelled, causing large-scale financial losses to the port and severe disruption to the transport of goods to and from Japan.

As more Asian ports automate and move away from paper documentation, hackers pose a growing problem to the region’s shipping networks.

The Port of Nagoya has been hacked before in September 2022 when the harbour was hit by a large DDoS attack where NUTS was down for almost an hour. Another Russian gang Killnet claimed it was the attacker in that incident, which affected Japanese government websites nd other services nationwide.

Japan Today: Bloomberg: Kyodo News: Techmonitor: Bleeping Computer: Japan Times:

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