Toyota announced last week that a decade-long data breach in its popular online service exposed information on over 2 million vehicles.
According to spokesperson Hideaki Homma, Toyota’s cloud-based Connected service affected all Japan-based vehicles from January 2012 to April 2023.
The Connected service helps owners with emergencies, maintenance checks, and streaming entertainment. It can help after a crash or find a stolen car.
Although no breach-related issues have been reported, the data at risk includes the vehicle identification number, the vehicle’s location and time, and video footage from the vehicle’s “drive recorder” in Japan.
Toyota’s subsidiary in Japan runs the Connected service and manages its database. No one realized that outside access to the company data could be made so easily, Homma said. “We are so sorry to have caused such trouble to all the people,” he added.
Japan’s top automaker, known for quality and detail, has to hang its head in shame due to such a major issue. Homma stated that the system problem has been fixed, so Connect-enabled vehicles can be driven as usual without needing repairs.