Shutdown extended across sites
Jaguar Land Rover will keep its UK plants closed until at least Wednesday. The automaker continues to face severe disruption following a cyber attack that struck more than a week ago.
Production has stopped at Halewood, Solihull and the Wolverhampton engine site. Operations in Slovakia, China and India are also offline. Workers on the production lines have been instructed to remain at home.
On 31 August the company shut down its IT systems to shield them from damage. The move triggered widespread disruption across operations.
Race to restart networks
Jaguar Land Rover says teams are working nonstop to bring its systems back online safely. Cybersecurity specialists and law enforcement are supporting the recovery.
Last Thursday the company told staff to remain at home until at least Tuesday as efforts continued.
The firm, owned by India’s Tata Motors, has not confirmed reports suggesting the disruption could last for weeks.
Suppliers under pressure
Normally Jaguar Land Rover builds about 1,000 vehicles a day. The suspension of production has placed huge strain on suppliers. Some are believed to have told their own staff not to work.
The cyber attack also hit other areas. Dealers could not register new cars, while garages were unable to order replacement parts. Temporary measures are now helping to ease the disruption.
The timing has made the impact worse. New licence plates were released in early September, usually a peak moment for car deliveries.
Growing concerns among partners
Shaun Adams, head of the parts supplier Qualplast, voiced concern about the extended halt. He warned that if the stoppage lasts weeks, his company would have to reassess its future planning.
Hackers boast of attack
A young hacker group has claimed responsibility for the breach. The same group has carried out attacks on other British companies, including a large retailer earlier this year.
The group bragged about the strike on Telegram only days after it happened. Security experts believe they accessed sensitive corporate data.
Investigators suspect the hackers tried to extort money. Jaguar Land Rover confirmed it is aware of the claims and is continuing its investigation.
