Jaguar and Land Rover have now entered their third week without being able to produce any vehicles at any of their global factories. The predicament resulted from a cyberattack on September 1. The hack has brought the entire brand to a compromised position, causing shutdowns in production, parts ordering, and retail operations. According to a report by Autocar, the brand is currently experiencing losses estimated at Rs 60 crore per day.
While at first the attack seemed innocuous, it resulted in an impact that initially only affected the dealers, as they were unable to book vehicles. It was on September 2 that the brand acknowledged the changes and announced that it was shutting down systems to contain the issue.
Hacker Group First Attacked Marks and Spencer
The hacker group that took responsibility for the attack is called Scattered Lapsus$. They claimed responsibility for the JLR hack. Prior to attacking the automotive giant, the group had also targeted the retail chain Marks and Spencer earlier this year.
As of September 15, JLR stated that it will soon be repairing its systems but has yet to receive a full timeline for recovery. Not a single car has left the production line in the last two weeks. This will continue until at least September 24.
JLR has confirmed that customer data was compromised, prompting police and cybersecurity experts to assist in restoring operations. The resulting production shutdown is disrupting JLR’s supply chain, causing significant strain on suppliers—some of whom now face the risk of bankruptcy.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer warned that layoffs are on the horizon-either already happening or being planned for the near future. Many suppliers are also affected by the issues that have impacted production so severely.
In JLR’s case, hackers exploited a known vulnerability in the third-party SAP NetWeaver software used for internal operations. The group claims to have obtained customer data, but the extent of the breach and whether a ransom was demanded remain unknown.
Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Victoris Vs Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta: These Are the Most Value-for-Money Variants
