Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has reported significant disruptions to vehicle production at its main UK plants due to a recent cyber-attack. The company, owned by Tata Motors of India, stated that it took immediate action to mitigate the effects of the incident and is working to restore operations quickly. JLR’s retail business has also been adversely affected, although there is currently no evidence that customer data has been compromised.
The attack began on Sunday and coincided with a critical period for UK car sales, as new registration plates were released on September 1. This time typically sees increased consumer activity in vehicle purchases. Reports indicate that the cyber-attack was detected while it was ongoing, prompting JLR to shut down its IT systems to limit potential damages. Employees at the Halewood plant in Merseyside received alerts early Monday morning not to report to work, while staff at the Solihull plant were also sent home.
The identity of the attackers remains unknown, but this incident follows recent cyber-attacks on well-known UK retailers, including the Co-op and Marks and Spencer, which involved extortion attempts. In an effort to enhance its cybersecurity, JLR had entered into a five-year agreement worth £800 million ($1.07 billion) with Tata Consultancy Services earlier this year, aimed at accelerating digital transformation across the company.
While JLR’s official statement does not explicitly refer to a cyber-attack, a disclosure by Tata Motors to the Bombay Stock Exchange described the incident as an “IT security incidence” impacting global operations. The production halt comes as a challenge to the firm, which has recently reported a decline in profits attributed to rising costs linked to US tariffs.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9wywvllq7wo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss