Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has been hit by a cyber-attack that has severely disrupted vehicle production, including operations at its two main UK manufacturing plants in Halewood and Solihull.
The attack, which began on Sunday, triggered an emergency shutdown of the company’s IT systems in an attempt to limit the damage. As a result, production was halted and employees at affected sites were sent home.
Retail operations have also been impacted, though JLR has confirmed that, so far, there is no evidence that any customer data has been compromised.
The timing of the incident is particularly disruptive. Monday 1st September was the arrival of new UK vehicle registration plates, which is traditionally a busy period for new car deliveries.
The full scale of the disruption is still not known, but the company has acknowledged that both its production and retail activities have been “severely disrupted.” JLR stated that it is now working “at pace” to bring its systems back online in a controlled manner.
Parent company Tata Motors described the event as an “IT security incident” with global implications in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange. The identity of the attackers is not yet known, but the incident follows recent high-profile hacks targeting other major UK businesses, including the Co-op and Marks & Spencer. Both of which were victims of extortion attempts.
In 2023, JLR entered into a five-year, £800 million deal with Tata Consultancy Services to bolster cybersecurity and drive digital transformation across the business.
The cyber-attack adds further pressure to the manufacturer, which is already navigating falling profits amid rising costs linked to US tariffs.
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