Jaguar Land Rover Staff Stay Home After Cyber Attack
In early September 2025, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) suffered a major cyber attack that forced the company to take critical IT systems offline, severely disrupting production and retail operations across its global sites, including factories in the UK, Slovakia, China, and India. The company directed factory staff to stay home, pausing assembly lines in Halewood, Solihull, and the engine plant in Wolverhampton while it worked to restore systems securely. This shutdown coincided with the launch of new vehicle registration plates in the UK, intensifying the impact by delaying deliveries and affecting car sales.
A hacker group named "Scattered LAPSUS$ Hunters," which previously carried out attacks on other UK companies like Marks & Spencer, claimed responsibility. They posted screenshots suggesting access to internal JLR systems, though there has been no confirmation that customer data was accessed or stolen. JLR, owned by India's Tata Motors, had invested heavily in cybersecurity, entering a multi-year partnership with Tata Consultancy Services to enhance its digital defenses. Despite these precautions, this attack marks a significant setback, compounding recent challenges from tariff-related cost increases and weakening demand in key markets like China and Europe.
The disruption also affected JLR's supply chain, with parts suppliers limiting operations due to lack of clear communication and uncertainty over the duration of the outage. The company continues to collaborate with cybersecurity experts and law enforcement agencies to resolve the breach while implementing alternative solutions to mitigate its operational impact. This incident highlights the rising threat of sophisticated cyberattacks targeting major manufacturing and retail companies worldwide and underscores the need for robust cybersecurity strategies in the automotive industry.