Jaguar Land Rover’s UK factories will remain closed until at least Wednesday as the company struggles to recover from a major cyber attack that hit its IT systems more than a week ago.
Production line staff have been told to stay at home while the carmaker works “around the clock” to restart its networks safely. JLR said it is working with external cyber security experts and law enforcement to investigate the breach.
The company, owned by India’s Tata Motors, shut down its IT systems on 31 August to prevent further damage, but that move triggered widespread disruption. Under normal circumstances, JLR builds about 1,000 cars a day.
Ripple Effect Across Industry
The stoppage has hit suppliers hard, with some reportedly sending their own staff home due to the production freeze. Dealerships were also left unable to register new cars, while garages struggled to order spare parts for customers’ vehicles — though JLR says workarounds are now in place.
The disruption comes at a key moment for the car industry: the start of September, when new UK registration plates are released and demand for deliveries typically peaks.
“If this starts progressing over weeks, then we would have to seriously look at what we need to future-proof,” one industry source warned.
Hackers Claim Responsibility
A group of young hackers — believed to be behind earlier attacks on UK firms including Marks & Spencer — have claimed responsibility for the breach. Within days, they bragged about the attack on Telegram and appeared to post screenshots suggesting they had gained access to sensitive data.
Security experts believe the group may have been trying to extort money from JLR. The company has not confirmed this, but said it is investigating the claims.
For now, JLR has not given any indication of when its systems will be fully restored, raising concerns that the disruption could drag on for weeks.
