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A Cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover Is Causing a Supply Chain Disaster

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A Cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover Is Causing a Supply Chain Disaster


Almost immediately after the cyberattack, a group on Telegram called Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters, claimed responsibility for the hack. The group name implies a potential collaboration between three loose hacking collectives— Scattered Spider, Lapsus$, and Shiny Hunters—that have been behind some of the most high-profile cyberattacks in recent years. They are often made up of young, English-speaking, cybercriminals who target major businesses.

Building vehicles is a hugely complex process. Hundreds of different companies provide parts, materials, electronics, and more to vehicle manufacturers, and these expansive supply chain networks often rely upon “just-in-time” manufacturing. That means they order parts and services to be delivered in the specific quantities that are needed and exactly when they need them—large stockpiles of parts are unlikely to be held by auto makers.

“The supplier networks that are supplying into these manufacturing plants, they’re all set up for efficiency—economic efficiency, and also logistic efficiency,” says Siraj Ahmed Shaikh, a professor in systems security at Swansea University. “There’s a very carefully orchestrated supply chain,” Shaikh adds, speaking about automotive manufacturing generally. “There’s a critical dependency for those suppliers supplying into this kind of an operation. As soon as there is a disruption at this kind of facility, then all the suppliers get affected.”

One company that makes glass sun roofs has started laying off workers, according to a report in the Telegraph. Meanwhile, another firm told the BBC it has laid off around 40 people so far. French automotive company OPmobility, which employs 38,000 people across 150 sites, told WIRED it is making some changes and monitoring the events. “OPmobility is reconfiguring its production at certain sites as a consequence of the shutdown of its production by one of its customers based in the United Kingdom and depending on the evolution of the situation,” a spokesperson for the firm says.

While it is unclear which specific JLR systems have been impacted by the hackers and what systems JLR took offline proactively, many were likely taken offline to stop the attack from getting worse. “It’s very challenging to ensure containment while you still have connections between various systems,” says Orla Cox, head of EMEA cybersecurity communications at FTI Consulting, which responds to cyberattacks and works on investigations. “Oftentimes as well, there will be dependencies on different systems: You take one down, then it means that it has a knock on effect on another.”

Whenever there’s a hack in any part of a supply chain—whether that is a manufacturer at the top of the pyramid or a firm further down the pipeline—digital connections between companies may be severed to stop attackers from spreading from one network to the next. Connections via VPNs or APIs may be stopped, Cox says. “Some may even take stronger measures such as blocking domains and IP addresses. Then things like email are no longer usable between the two organizations.”

The complexity of digital and physical supply chains, spanning across dozens of businesses and just-in-time production systems, means it is likely that bringing everything back online and up to full-working speed may take time. MacColl, the RUSI researcher, says cybersecurity issues often fail to be debated at the highest level of British politics—but adds this time could be different due to the scale of the disruption. “This incident has the potential to cut through because of the job losses and the fact that MPs in constituencies affected by this will be getting calls,” he says. That breakthrough has already begun.



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Top 1Password Coupons for November 2025

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Top 1Password Coupons for November 2025


1Password has long been one of our favorite password managers. It’s our upgrade pick for all the extra features it offers compared to other password managers. 1Password has apps that work just about everywhere, including on macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, and ChromeOS. There are plug-ins for your favorite web browser too, which makes it easy to generate and edit new passwords on the fly.

What Are the Benefits of 1Password?

There are also some very nice features in 1Password that you won’t find elsewhere. If you frequently travel across national borders, you’ll appreciate Travel Mode. This mode lets you delete any sensitive data from your devices before you travel and then restore it with a click after you’ve crossed a border. This prevents anyone, including law enforcement at international borders, from accessing your complete password vault. In addition to being a password manager, 1Password can act as an authentication app like Google Authenticator, and for added security it creates a secret key to the encryption key it uses, meaning no one can decrypt your passwords without that key.

1Password also offers tight integration with other mobile apps. Rather than needing to copy and paste passwords from your password manager to other apps (which puts your password on the clipboard at least for a moment), 1Password is integrated with many apps and can autofill. This is more noticeable on iOS, where inter-app communication is more restricted.

You can get savings on the company’s suite of products with our 1Password coupons and deals.

How Much Is a 1Password Password Manager Plan?

The price of a 1Password Password manager plan varies by plan, with the annual plan discounted up to 28% off for committing yearly. The plans vary, with an individual plan at $3 per month, family plan at $5 per month, the Teams starter pack (with up to 10 users a month) at $20 per month, and business at $8 per month per user.

If you don’t want to commit to a yearly plan—and score massive savings—those plans are a bit more expensive. Monthly individual plans are $4 per month, family is $7 per month, Teams starter pack (with up to 10 users a month) is $25 per month, and business is $10 per month, per user.

Best Password Manager 2025

1Password just may be the best password manager of 2025. We named it the “best upgrade,” because of its impressive and comprehensive suite of additional security features, like Secret Key and secure travel mode. There are tons of features included that are similar to Bitwarden, Dashlane, Lastpass, NordPass, RoboForm, Enpass, KeePass, and YubiKey. But unlike others, 1Password password manager includes additional security features like a Secret Key for additional protection and a more secure travel mode. We also love 1Password’s intuitive interface which makes it simple for families to choose and share logins across devices.

Enjoy a 14-Day 1Password Free Trial

Not sure if 1Password is right for you? Try it free for 14 days! No credit card required, you get full access to premium features and cancel anytime. Free trials are available for Teams Starter Pack, Business, and Individual & Families plans.



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Save With Vitamix Promo Codes and Deals This Month

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Save With Vitamix Promo Codes and Deals This Month


I’ve been hooked on smoothies in an almost superstitious way ever since college: A fruit smoothie is like a good luck charm, promising the health you feel you deserve despite all your other bad decisions. But in my more recent adult life, a good blender is the passport to taqueria salsas, Oaxacan-style mole, and all the delicate emulsions I once had to buy at restaurants and in jars.

Well, Vitamix crushes the blender game, but usually comes with a price tag to match. Luckily Vitamix promo codes crop up at various points during the year, and we’re here to help you stay up to date on those discounts.

Vitamix New Ascent X5 With Stainless Steel Container

Vitmix’s top-of-the-line blender model, Ascent X5, is now constructed with a stainless steel container. The 48-ounce stainless steel container is not only huge and hygienic, the machine itself combines an intuitive touch interface with a refined, timeless design. The non-reactive stainless steel material resists stains, odors, and corrosion, and expertly handles hot, cold, and acidic ingredients. This futuristic gadget also has an automatic self-cleaning program and ten blending programs for popular items like smoothies, soups, frozen cocktails and more for a precise blend, every time.

Get a $25 Vitamix Promo Code Plus Free Shipping

Vitamix has tons of ways to save on these handy kitchen gear items, including $25 off when you register your email. All you have to do is input your email on Vitamix’s website, and you’ll get a discount of up to $25 sent straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get free shipping on orders of $100 or more.

Does Vitamix Offer Free Shipping?

Glad you asked. Vitamix is offering free standard shipping for orders above $99. This pretty much means that ground shipping is free for blenders at the current discounts. Priority shipping is not free, however.

The WIRED Gear Team’s Favorite Vitamix Blenders

WIRED has long been singing the praises of the classic Vitamix 5200. The model made a blender convert out of contributing reviewer Joe Ray after he realized that the “model of preference for blender aficionados around the world” was also his key to home mole and Oaxacan-style cookery.

A similar road-to-Damascus moment beset WIRED contributing reviewer Heather Arndt Anderson when she tested the Vitamix Ascent X2, also currently on a $50 promo discount. “The more I thought about it,” she wrote, “the more I realized that maybe I’ve never been a blender person because I never had a good blender.” Anderson also made a big batch of mole and avoided passing out from chile fumes, then moved on to homemade masa and a Georgian walnut spread. She regretted only that the blender wasn’t easier to clean.

After testing through a number of brands’ blenders, WIRED contributing reviewer Emily Peck marveled that even the basic Vitamix Explorian E310 churned almonds frictionlessly into butter without even need of a presoak.

Additional Vitamix Deals and Sales in 2025

Vitamix tends to offer a number of other deals and sales throughout the year, like Presidents Day, but the next one won’t crop up till Mother’s Day. Other deals to expect crop up during the summer, alongside the eternal Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals.



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Research drives commercialization of energy-efficient solar cell technology toward 40% efficiency milestone

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Research drives commercialization of energy-efficient solar cell technology toward 40% efficiency milestone


Prof. Li Gang (left), Chair Professor of Energy Conversion Technology and Sir Sze-yuen Chung Endowed Professor in Renewable Energy, and Prof. Yang Guang (right), Assistant Professor, both of the PolyU Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, have conducted a critical review of the challenges and future prospects of perovskite/silicon TSCs. Credit: Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Third-generation solar cell technology is advancing rapidly. An engineering research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has achieved a breakthrough in the field of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells (TSCs), focusing on addressing challenges that include improving efficiency, stability and scalability.

The team has conducted a comprehensive analysis of TSC performance and provided strategic recommendations, which aim to raise the energy conversion efficiency of this new type of solar cell from the current maximum of approximately 34% to about 40%.

The team hopes to accelerate the commercialization of /silicon TSCs through industry-academia-research collaboration, while aligning with the nation’s strategic plan of carbon peaking and neutrality and promoting the development of innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence through .

The research team comprises leading scholars including Prof. Li Gang, Chair Professor of Energy Conversion Technology and Sir Sze-yuen Chung Endowed Professor in Renewable Energy, and Prof. Yang Guang, Assistant Professor, both of the PolyU Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

They conducted a critical review of the challenges and future prospects of perovskite/silicon TSCs titled “Towards efficient, scalable and stable perovskite/silicon tandem ,” which has been published in the journal Nature Photonics.

Tackling stability and manufacturing challenges

“While lab-scale devices have shown impressive efficiency advancement, further efforts are needed to improve their reliability, including minimizing efficiency losses from small-area devices to large-area modules,” said Prof. Gang. “Special focus should also be given to ensuring that the manufacturability of materials and methods aligns with industrial standards.”

To address these issues, Prof. Guang and the team highlighted several critical technical challenges. First, the intrinsic instability of perovskite materials under environmental stresses such as moisture, oxygen, ultraviolet light and thermal fluctuations remains a major challenge. Second, translating tandem devices to commercial-scale modules requires overcoming hurdles related to uniformity, defect control and large-area fabrication.

Although preliminary outdoor testing of perovskite/silicon TSCs has been conducted, certified data on their long-term reliability remain scarce. To better assess the actual lifetime and commercial potential of these cells, the researchers recommend rigorous accelerated stability testing based on standardized procedures outlined by the International Electrotechnical Commission.

Additionally, while perovskite raw materials are relatively low-cost, the use of rare elements and heavy metal lead in most cell designs raises significant environmental and regulatory concerns. The research therefore advocates for the development of sustainable alternatives, along with efficient recycling or lead sequestration strategies to enable viable commercialization.

Promoting industry-academia-research collaboration

The PolyU team advocates for industry-academia-research collaboration through a multidisciplinary approach that integrates , device engineering and economic modeling to advance this promising photovoltaic technology. “The development of efficient and reliable perovskite/silicon TSCs must address these remaining scientific challenges to achieve lower levelized electricity costs,” said Prof. Guang.

“The team hopes this research will facilitate the transition of the technology from laboratory studies to commercial fabrication, while closely aligning with the nation’s strategic plan of carbon peaking and neutrality. By providing a stable supply of high-efficiency renewable energy, we aim to deliver green and reliable power support for high-energy-consuming industries such as , thereby helping to achieve a low-carbon transformation of the energy structure.”

More information:
Guang Yang et al, Towards efficient, scalable and stable perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells, Nature Photonics (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-025-01732-y

Citation:
Research drives commercialization of energy-efficient solar cell technology toward 40% efficiency milestone (2025, November 10)
retrieved 10 November 2025
from https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-commercialization-energy-efficient-solar-cell.html

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