WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Jaguar Land Rover's UK production plants will remain closed until at least Wednesday as the carmaker continues to recover from a cyber-attack that has crippled its operations for more than a week.
The disruption, which began on August 31, forced JLR to shut down IT systems to protect them from further damage. The move halted output at its Halewood and Solihull car factories, the Wolverhampton engine facility, and plants in Slovakia, China, and India.
Production line staff have been instructed to stay at home while the company works to restore systems 'in a controlled and safe manner,' with the support of cybersecurity experts and law enforcement.
The suspension has already had a ripple effect on suppliers. Under normal circumstances, JLR manufactures around 1,000 vehicles a day. Some suppliers, unable to deliver components, have told their own workers to stay home. Dealerships were also temporarily unable to register new cars, and garages struggled to order spare parts, though stopgap measures have since been introduced.
The timing of the attack has added pressure, coinciding with the release of new UK vehicle registration plates on September 1 typically a peak period for customer deliveries.
A group of hackers, believed to be responsible for other attacks on UK firms including Marks & Spencer earlier this year, has claimed responsibility on Telegram, reportedly attempting to extort the automaker. While screenshots suggest sensitive data may have been accessed, JLR has not confirmed the extent of the breach and continues to investigate.
The Tata Motors-owned company has not commented on speculation that the disruption could last weeks, raising concerns among suppliers about prolonged financial strain.
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