The Tata Group-owned luxury car brand, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), is struggling with its most severe cyber crisis to date after a recent cyber attack forced the company to shut down its IT systems. The major IT shutdown has led to a complete halt in production, eventually leading to widespread disruption in sales. The cyberattack incident has impacted JLR’s key manufacturing plants in Halewood, Solihull, and Wolverhampton, bringing their operations to a standstill.
The timing of the attack comes at a worse time for the luxury carmaker as it coincides with the release of new vehicle registration plates—a period of traditionally high demand and sales. The fallout has been notable, with several customers unable to complete purchases. JLR has also been reporting indefinite delays for existing orders.
Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack halts company production
The effects of the cyber attack are being felt throughout the entire supply chain. JLR’s network of suppliers has been forced to slow down operations, causing delays everywhere. Independent repair garages are also struggling to carry out their work since they are unable to access the necessary databases to order replacement parts, leaving countless JLR vehicle owners in a state of uncertainty.
Hacker group claims responsibility for the attack
A group identifying itself as ‘Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters’ has claimed responsibility for the cyberattack on JLR. While the Tata Group-owned luxury car brand has confirmed that an investigation is underway, the company has stated that there is no evidence yet to suggest any breach in personal data.
While this could be reassuring to several stakeholders of the brand, it does little to pacify the effects of the financial and operational losses inflicted by the plant shutdown.
This crisis adds to a challenging period for JLR, which has already been facing mounting pressure from weaker profits and rising costs. The cyberattack also affects the transition of Jaguar from its previous image to a new-age automotive brand.
While JLR works behind the scenes to get its operations back up and running, the cyber attack highlights how a single system breach can make an entire organisation’s IT network vulnerable.
