Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack Disrupts Production

Britain's biggest carmaker, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), announced that factory production will remain suspended until October after a cyberattack. The automaker had to stop operations in late August when its IT networks were compromised, disrupting production and retail systems.

According to the BBC, JLR confirmed that its UK factories will remain shut until at least October 1, and anonymous sources said the halt could extend into November. The companies involved in the production chain and the government are concerned about the economic consequences.

"Our focus remains on supporting our customers, suppliers, colleagues, and our retailers who remain open," said JLR in a statement. "We fully recognise this is a difficult time for all connected with JLR and we thank everyone for their continued support and patience."

JLR produces on average 1,000 vehicles per day in its three affected factories in Halewood, Solihull, and Wolverhampton, and the suspension is costing the company about £50 million—over $67 million—per week. Several suppliers and dealers are trying to support the company in restoring operations as soon as possible.

Workers have been impacted, too. The automaker directly employs 30,000 people, and about 60,000 are part of its supply chain. Many have been told to wait at home, and Unite—one of the largest trade unions in the country—said staff were being laid off with "reduced or zero pay" after the hack.

According to The Guardian, members of the government have been visiting the facilities and suggesting solutions to reduce the impact of the halt. Antonia Bance, the Labour Member of Parliament for Tipton and Wednesbury, said that an extended pause could cause “a disintegration of the entire supply chain into JLR.”

The cyberattack investigation is still ongoing, and JLR hasn’t disclosed any details yet. According to a recent report by CIFIRMA, the hacker group Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters claimed responsibility for the attack on Telegram, and the group HELLCAT was also linked, as it had previously hacked JLR systems.

Other large companies in the UK have recently been impacted by cyberattacks. Earlier this year, Marks & Spencer confirmed a cyberattack in which customers’ personal data was stolen and disrupted its services for weeks.