Factories remain closed
Jaguar Land Rover will keep its UK plants closed until at least Wednesday. The company continues to deal with disruption from a cyber attack that began over a week ago.
Production is suspended at Halewood, Solihull and Wolverhampton. Facilities in Slovakia, China and India are also offline. Assembly line workers have been instructed to stay home.
On 31 August the company shut down its IT systems to protect them from further damage. That step caused widespread operational disruption.
Recovery efforts underway
Jaguar Land Rover says teams are working around the clock to safely restore its networks. Cybersecurity specialists and law enforcement are assisting in the recovery.
Last Thursday staff were told to remain home until at least Tuesday while recovery continued.
The automaker, owned by India’s Tata Motors, has not confirmed reports suggesting the disruption could last several weeks.
Supply chain under strain
Jaguar Land Rover normally produces about 1,000 vehicles daily. The halt has put heavy pressure on suppliers. Some have already told employees not to report for work.
Dealerships and garages were also affected. Dealers could not register new cars, and garages could not order spare parts. Temporary solutions are now helping to ease the disruption.
The timing worsened the impact. Early September saw the release of new licence plates, a peak period for vehicle deliveries.
Suppliers voice concern
Shaun Adams, managing director of parts supplier Qualplast, warned that a prolonged shutdown would be damaging. He said if it lasts weeks, his company must reconsider its future plans.
Hacker group claims responsibility
A young hacker group has claimed the attack. They previously targeted other UK businesses, including a major retailer.
The group boasted about the breach on Telegram within days. Experts believe they accessed sensitive company data.
Investigators suspect the motive was extortion. Jaguar Land Rover confirmed it is aware of the claims and continues to investigate.
