This Chinese EV maker falls prey to hackers

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Nio has become the latest automaker to be a hacking victim, as the cyber attackers have targeted its computer systems and accessed data of users and vehicle sales. The hackers have reportedly sent an email to the automaker claiming that they have breached the data of its computer systems. Also, they have reportedly demanded a whopping $2.25 million worth of bitcoin, claiming that they had the OEM's sensitive internal data. This comes as the latest hacking incident to hit the global auto industry, reports Reuters.

Nio has said that it is working with government authorities t investigate the data breach. But it didn't reveal the extent of damage caused by the cyber attackers.

The auto industry has been facing an increasing number of cyber attacks over the last few years. Just a few days ago, Kia India's Instagram account was hacked by unknown entities. BMW's social media accounts, too, were hacked just days after that. Previously in recent times, car brands like Honda and Ferrari too have faced similar issues after being targeted by hackers. Earlier in November 2022, German tyre and automotive parts maker Continental said that a cyberattack it reported in August had resulted in some important data being stolen.

In 2021, Kia Motors’ official website was hacked, and the cyber attackers demanded a $20 million ransom. Earlier, the Italian supercar marquee Ferrari was targeted by hackers, and they stole seven gigabytes of data comprising sensitive internal documents. Other automakers like Nissan, Hyundai and its luxury car brand Genesis too faced similar cyber attacks, which disrupted the operations of the automakers.

The auto industry has been forced to spend billions of dollars to strengthen its data protection systems as it deals with a wave of cyberattacks every year. Cyber attacks have become an increasing menace for the auto industry worldwide.