Extended closures in UK and abroad
Jaguar Land Rover will keep its UK plants closed until at least Wednesday. The company is still dealing with disruption caused by a cyber attack over a week ago.
Production is halted at Halewood, Solihull and Wolverhampton. Facilities in Slovakia, China and India are also offline. Assembly line workers have been told to stay home.
On 31 August the company shut down its IT systems to prevent further damage. That action caused widespread operational disruption.
Recovery efforts continue
Jaguar Land Rover says teams are working around the clock to safely restore 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 efforts continued.
The automaker, owned by India’s Tata Motors, has not confirmed reports that the shutdown could last several weeks.
Suppliers feel the strain
Jaguar Land Rover normally produces about 1,000 vehicles daily. The halt has put heavy pressure on suppliers. Some have already instructed their staff 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 easing some of the disruption.
The timing worsened the impact. Early September marked the release of new licence plates, a peak period for vehicle deliveries.
Supplier concerns grow
Shaun Adams, managing director of parts supplier Qualplast, warned that a prolonged shutdown would be damaging. He said if it lasts weeks, the company must review 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.
