LOS ANGELES — Honda Motor Co. is coping with a global computer network disruption that is forcing it to cut some production in North America.
The disruption could be part of a deliberate attack, the automaker’s U.S. sales company, American Honda Motor Co., said Monday.
Honda did not offer details on what production plants have cut output or what other operations might be affected. The company is investigating the cause of the computer disruption and has not ruled out a cyberattack.
“On Sunday, June 7, Honda experienced a disruption in its computer network that has caused a loss of connectivity, thus impacting our business operations. Our information technology team is working quickly to assess the situation,” American Honda said in a statement.
British news outlet Sky News has reported that the computer problems also are affecting Honda’s networks in Japan and Europe.
It was unclear Monday whether Honda was the victim of ransomware, in which hackers break into a corporation’s IT system and hold the company hostage until a ransom is paid to allow for operations to resume.
In 2017, Honda was hit by the global WannaCry ransomware attack that affected production at a Japanese assembly plant, according to Reuters. That attack also affected Renault and Nissan operations in Japan, Europe and India, Reuters said.