Factories remain shut
Jaguar Land Rover will keep its UK plants closed until at least Wednesday. The automaker is still grappling with disruption caused by a cyber attack that began more than a week ago.
Production has stopped at Halewood, Solihull and Wolverhampton. Sites 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 prevent further damage. That action caused widespread operational disruption.
Recovery teams working nonstop
Jaguar Land Rover says staff are working around the clock to safely restore networks. Cybersecurity experts and law enforcement agencies are assisting.
Last Thursday the company extended its work-from-home order until at least Tuesday while recovery continued.
The firm, owned by India’s Tata Motors, has not confirmed reports suggesting the disruption could last weeks.
Supply chain under strain
Jaguar Land Rover normally produces about 1,000 vehicles per day. The shutdown has placed heavy pressure on suppliers. Some have already told employees not to report for work.
Dealerships and garages also suffered disruption. Dealers could not register new cars, and garages could not order parts. Temporary solutions are now easing the problems.
The timing worsened the impact. New licence plates were released in early September, a peak period for customer deliveries.
Suppliers voice concern
Shaun Adams, managing director of the parts supplier Qualplast, warned that a prolonged shutdown would be damaging. He said if the stoppage lasts weeks, the company must reconsider its future plans.
Hackers claim 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 extortion was the motive. Jaguar Land Rover confirmed it is aware of the claims and continues to investigate.
