Jaguar Land Rover Extends Production Halt Amid Supply Issues
▼ Summary
– Jaguar Land Rover has extended its production halt until October 1, 2025, following a major cyber-attack to allow time for a phased operational restart and investigation.
– The production suspension has caused significant financial losses, estimated at £120m in profits and £1.7bn in revenue, with plants remaining closed for nearly a month.
– Unions are calling for a government-backed furlough scheme due to concerns that supplier bankruptcies could lead to cascading job losses for around 200,000 employees.
– The cyber-attack has been claimed by the ‘Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters’ group, which posted evidence of the breach, though the initial access method remains unconfirmed.
– JLR is working with cybersecurity specialists and law enforcement to ensure a secure restart, while an expert advises on mitigating future risks through updated plans and user awareness.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the United Kingdom’s largest automotive manufacturer, has prolonged its production shutdown following a significant cyber-attack earlier this month. The company, a subsidiary of India’s Tata Motors, confirmed the extension on its official website, signaling continued disruption across its operations. This decision underscores the severe impact of cybersecurity incidents on modern manufacturing and global supply chains.
In a public statement, JLR explained that the pause in manufacturing will now continue until Wednesday, October 1, 2025. The move is intended to provide clarity for employees, suppliers, and partners while the company develops a timeline for a gradual operational restart. JLR emphasized its commitment to supporting its customers, suppliers, staff, and retail network during this challenging period.
Union leaders are urging the government to implement a furlough scheme after reports emerged that numerous suppliers face potential bankruptcy. With JLR serving as the primary client for many of these firms, the extended halt threatens the livelihoods of roughly 200,000 workers throughout the supply chain. The business secretary is scheduled to meet with JLR representatives and supply chain employees to address these mounting concerns.
Internally, JLR teams are collaborating with cybersecurity experts, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), and law enforcement agencies to restore operations safely. The company acknowledged the difficulty of the situation and expressed gratitude for the ongoing patience and support from all stakeholders. Production facilities in Solihull, Halewood, and Wolverhampton remain idle, compounding financial losses already estimated at £120 million in profits and £1.7 billion in revenue.
A hacking collective identifying itself as ‘Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters’ has claimed responsibility for the breach, sharing screenshots of JLR’s internal network on Telegram. While the exact method of initial access remains unconfirmed, some analysts point to the exploitation of a vulnerability in SAP NetWeaver software, a flaw that was patched by SAP in April but has since been leveraged by ransomware groups.
James McQuiggan, a CISO advisor at KnowBe4, highlighted several critical steps organizations should take to mitigate such risks. He recommended regularly testing and updating business continuity and incident response plans, strengthening supply chain risk assessments, and adopting Zero Trust principles to restrict attacker movement. McQuiggan also stressed the importance of addressing human risk through ongoing security awareness training, phishing simulations, and behavior analysis, noting that social engineering remains a primary entry point for cyber attackers.
(Source: Info Security)
