Anonymous Launches Cyber Attack On Nissan Over Japanese Whale And Dolphin Hunting

Hacker group Anonymous has claimed responsibility for a cyber attack against Japanese car manufacturer Nissan in protest over Japan’s whale hunting, despite the company having no known links to whaling.

The hacktivist collective bombarded the car maker’s global website, leading the company to take it down temporarily.

The attack coincides with this week’s Detroit Motor Show - one of the biggest events in the auto industry’s calendar.

Nissan states that it has no stance on and no connection hunting of marine creatures.

Offering some explanation as to why Nissan was targeted, one of the hackers claiming responsibility for the cyber attack told the BBC: “They are a big corporation in Japan, and we have targeted big corporations to spread awareness about the killing [of dolphins] in the cove in Taiji because the Japanese news is censoring it”.

The hacker also claimed that Anonymous was not out to get Nissan’s data.

The move against Nissan is the latest in a co-ordinated campaign that started in December, with Anonymous bringing down the website of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The hackers then took down a further 97 websites related to Japanese government as well as groups connected with whale and dolphin hunting.

Anonymous has also made similar attacks on institutions with links to Iceland’s whaling industry.

Image credit: Anonymous/YouTube