Business
Jaguar Land Rover says some IT systems back online after major cyber attack
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said parts of its IT systems are back online amid a “phased restart” of its operations following a major cyber attack.
The British carmaker has paused production at its UK factories for several weeks after being targeted by hackers.
The company said it is “working to clear a backlog of payments” to suppliers, and has increased its processing capacity for invoicing.
A cyber attack on the carmaker in August forced it to shut down its IT networks and suspend production lines. Factories remain closed until next month at the earliest.
A statement from JLR said: “As part of the controlled, phased restart of our operations, today we have informed colleagues, suppliers and retail partners that sections of our digital estate are now up and running. The foundational work of our recovery programme is firmly underway.”
The company’s centre for supplying parts to distribution centres for retailers in the UK and globally is returning to full operations, JLR confirmed.
The financial system used to process the wholesale of vehicles has also been brought back online, meaning sales and registration are now faster again.
JLR said it is working with cyber security specialists, the UK government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and law enforcement.
“Our focus remains on supporting our customers, suppliers, colleagues and our retailers. We fully recognise this is a difficult time for all connected with JLR and we thank everyone for their continued support and patience,” a statement said.
The government has said it was considering intervening to support JLR’s parts suppliers, with concerns growing that some could go bust due to the shutdown of operations, especially small businesses.
The manufacturer is owned by India’s Tata Motors, and builds around 1,000 cars a day across its three factories in Solihull and Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, and Halewood in Merseyside.
Workers were told to stay home on 1 September, and JLR has not confirmed a return date.
Around 30,000 people are employed at the company’s plants, with a further 100,000 working for employers in the supply chain.
Unions have called for a Covid-style furlough operation for those in the supply chain, but this is not thought to be viable given the scale and the cost. Businesses are also reportedly unwilling to consider a government-backed loan, given the uncertainty they currently face.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves was asked during a ministerial visit if the government was set to step in to help firms in the supply chain.
“We are working very closely with Jaguar Land Rover, but not just with the company but also with the wider supply chain,” Ms Reeves said.
“The focus is both getting the business back up and running as quickly as possible, but also making sure, as a government, we are doing everything we can to stand by the company and the wider supply chain.”