A cyber attack on Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, a major Chinese supplier to Stellantis, has led to the suspension of production at several Stellantis facilities in North America. Yanfeng‘s North American headquarters is located in Novi, Michigan, and it manufactures essential components such as seats, interiors, and electronics, among other parts. Yanfeng also supplies General Motors, but the automaker has not yet announced whether its production will be affected. There are not many details about the cyber attack suffered by Yanfeng, but Auto News reports that its website was offline.
A cyber attack on the Chinese supplier Yanfeng caused a halt in production at several Stellantis plants in the U.S.
“Due to an issue with an external supplier, production at some Stellantis assembly plants in North America has been halted,” said Stellantis spokesperson Ann Marie Fortunate to Crain’s. “We are monitoring the situation and working with the supplier to mitigate any further impact on our operations.”
Hackers are increasingly targeting companies and individuals, stealing their data. In June, the data of millions of people holding driver’s licenses in Louisiana was exposed. The information obtained by hackers included names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, vehicle registration data, and social security numbers. A company linked to Russia claimed responsibility for the attack.
Shortly after Stellantis announced voluntary exits for 6,400 of its employees in the United States, news broke of a cyber attack affecting the automaker. CEO Carlos Tavares stated that the voluntary exits are intended to help the automaker save money during the transition to an electric vehicle lineup. The planned layoffs come after Stellantis reached a temporary labor agreement with the United Auto Workers union. Most UAW-represented workers at Stellantis have yet to vote on the new contract.