Factory closures extended
Jaguar Land Rover will keep its UK plants closed until at least Wednesday. The automaker continues to deal with the impact of a cyber attack that struck more than a week ago.
Production remains suspended at Halewood, Solihull and Wolverhampton. Facilities in Slovakia, China and India are also affected. Workers on the production lines have been told to stay at home.
On 31 August the company shut down its IT systems to protect them from damage. That action caused severe disruption across its operations.
Struggle to restore systems
Jaguar Land Rover says it is working nonstop to bring networks back online safely. Cybersecurity specialists and law enforcement agencies are assisting in the process.
Last Thursday staff were told to remain at home until at least Tuesday as recovery work continued.
The company, owned by India’s Tata Motors, has not commented on suggestions that the crisis could last weeks.
Supply chain under strain
Jaguar Land Rover typically builds about 1,000 cars a day. The production freeze has put heavy pressure on suppliers. Some have already instructed their own staff not to work.
Dealerships and garages also faced disruption. Dealers could not register new cars, and garages could not order spare parts. Temporary fixes are now in place for some operations.
The timing made the situation worse. New licence plates were released at the start of September, a key period for car deliveries.
Concerns among suppliers
Shaun Adams, who leads the parts supplier Qualplast, said a lengthy stoppage would be troubling. He warned that if disruption continues for weeks, the firm would need to review its future plans.
Hacker group steps forward
A young hacker group has claimed responsibility for the breach. The same group previously targeted other British companies, including a well-known retailer.
They bragged about the attack on Telegram within days. Security experts believe they gained access to sensitive information.
Investigators suspect the hackers attempted extortion. Jaguar Land Rover confirmed it is aware of the claims and is continuing its investigation.
