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A cyber attack targeting Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has been described as a “digital siege,” with a Member of Parliament (MP) reporting that “hundreds” of supply chain workers are facing layoffs.
Liam Byrne, who chairs the Commons business and trade committee and serves as the Labour MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill & North Solihull, expressed concern, stating, “We fear if the government doesn’t step up soon, people will be laid off in their thousands.”
The company announced Tuesday that factory production would remain suspended until at least September 24th, issuing an apology for the ongoing disruptions.
The cyber intrusion, which occurred over two weeks prior, has compelled JLR to shut down its computer systems and halt production activities.
While some sources have suggested that the disruption could persist into November, JLR has dismissed these claims as “speculation.”
Production lines were initially paused on September 1st, coinciding with the public disclosure of the cyber attack.
The production stoppage is estimated to be costing the automaker, which operates factories in Solihull, Castle Bromwich, and Halewood, as well as an engine facility in Wolverhampton and international plants, at least £50 million per week.
The extent of the damage caused by the cyber incident remains undisclosed, but a criminal investigation is underway.
JLR cited the ongoing “forensic investigation” and a planned “controlled restart” of its global operations as reasons for the production delay.
Chris McDonald, the government minister for industry, acknowledged the situation, saying, “We know this is a worrying time for those affected, and although Jaguar Land Rover are taking the lead on support for their own supply chain, our cyber experts are supporting them to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
He further stated that he met with JLR on Tuesday to discuss strategies for resuming production and would be meeting with supply chain firms in the coming days.
The Unite union has alleged that JLR supply chain workers who have been laid off with reduced or no pay are being advised to apply for universal credit. JLR has declined to comment on this allegation.
JLR’s supply chain supports 104,000 jobs in the UK, with many suppliers heavily reliant on the automaker as their primary customer.
Mr. Byrne stated that he has appealed to the Chancellor for Covid-style emergency assistance for affected suppliers.
“This is not a mere flicker on the screen at Jaguar Land Rover, this is a digital siege and it’s sent a cyber shockwave through their supply chain,” he asserted.
“We think this is an attack which is much, much worse than the attack that took down Marks and Spencer.”
He argued that the increasing frequency of such attacks necessitates government intervention to establish a “different insurance system” to support affected firms, as no such system currently exists.
Richard Parker, the West Midlands mayor, emphasized the significant impact of the attack on JLR and its supply chain.
He stated his commitment to addressing the situation, noting that he is in communication with the business secretary, the chancellor, JLR, and unions, affirming “we have good understanding of the issues which need to be resolved”.
He added that JLR is collaborating with the government to assess the impact of the shutdown on businesses across its supply chain and to develop “best approaches about intervening to help them over the next few weeks and months”.
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