Hackers hit Tokyo-based manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries last month, infecting dozens of its computers and servers with viruses. The company said that information related to its defense contracts was unaffected, though the full extent of the attack remains unknown.
A statement from the company confirmed the attack was company-wide, infecting 38 computers and 45 servers at 11 different locations. Mitsubishi contacted cyber security experts to discern the extent of the attack and correct it. It was then the company learned of the possibility of data leakage. No details were provided on exactly what steps were taken to minimize the damage and limit further proliferation of the eight distinct viruses.
One affected location, Aichi Prefecture's Nagoya Guidance and Propulsion Systems Works, develops parts for missiles and rockets. Another in Nagasaki builds Naval destroyers and other ships - likely for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Sophos Labs rose questions regarding the attack's origin at its Naked Security blog. Graham Cluley, a security technology consultant for the company, noted previous high-profile cyber attacks on other defense contractors including Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
"If Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was targeted by hackers, the obvious question to ask is who was behind the attack and what was the motive," said Cluley.
An unnamed Mitsubishi Heavy Industries spokesperson told Reuters he was confident that nothing too valuable was lost.
"We've found out that some system information such as IP addresses have been leaked and that's creepy enough," he said. "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." (via Naked Security)
