Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has suspended production at its UK factories following a major cyber-attack, with disruption expected to last into October.
The carmaker, owned by India’s Tata group, stopped operations last week after hackers infiltrated its systems. Workers at plants in Halewood, Solihull and Wolverhampton have been told to stay home but will continue to be paid. They are expected to «bank» their hours and make them up later.
Suppliers including Evtec, WHS Plastics, SurTec and OPmobility have also paused work, affecting more than 6K staff. Production in Slovakia, Brazil and India is thought to be hit as well.
The company has reported the incident to the Information Commissioner’s Office but said there is no evidence of personal data being stolen. However, dozens of internal systems remain offline, forcing dealerships and garages to switch to phone calls and paperwork to manage orders and spare parts.
A group of hackers linked to recent attacks on Marks & Spencer, Harrods and the Co-op has claimed responsibility.
JLR said it was working with cyber experts and law enforcement.
«We are very sorry for the disruption this incident has caused,» a spokesperson said.
Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Audi has presented its new Concept C sports car in Milan, calling it a «progressive step» towards a future of electric vehicles.
