Japanese Optical Products Producer Experiences Crypto Mining Computer Cyber Attack

A cyber attack has affected Japanese lens manufacturer Hoya, causing a partial factory shutdown. Around 100 computers may have been infected and passwords compromised. The attack may have also been a precursor to establishing an unauthorized cryptocurrency mining operation on the company’s corporate system.

Hoya released a statement about the attack, albeit in Japanese. But, based on translations, the cyber attack began on March 1, 2019, when a computer server that controls the network began to slow. The company’s employees were unable to use the software on the computer to manage orders and production and the company then experienced a 40 percent reduction in output. The company believes that a virus was beyond the issues and though it reached other companies, the company was able to stop its progression to other systems to establish a mining operation.