As the massive WannaCry ransomware attack spread to over 100 countries this weekend, French automaker Renault halted production in several of its factories on Saturday, according to a spokesperson.
Renault shut down several French factories after cyberattack
The attack also affected one of Nissan’s UK factories
The attack also affected one of Nissan’s UK factories
Photo by Drew Gibson/Getty Images
Speaking to Automotive News, the spokesperson confirmed that the company shut down production in its Sandouville factory, saying that “proactive measures have been put in place, including the temporarily suspension of industrial activity at some sites,” but declined to provide a full list of affected sites. Renault’s partner company Nissan was also affected: a UK spokesperson confirmed that files at its Sunderland factory were impacted on Friday night, but wouldn’t confirm reports that production was halted. A Renault spokesperson told Reuters that the company expects that “nearly all plants” will reopen on Monday.
The WannaCry ransomware attack began on Friday, impacting computers at UK hospitals, utilities in Spain, and Russia’s interior ministry. The attack uses an exploit known as EternalBlue, which is thought to have been developed by the NSA to break through security on Windows computers. Yesterday, Microsoft took the unusual step of issuing a Windows XP patch to help prevent the attack, while a 22-year-old cybersecurity researcher seems to have defused the attack by registering a single web address.
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