Yazılar

Jaguar Land Rover Scrambles to Contain Cyber Breach That Halted Production

/in /tarafından

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said Friday it is working “at pace” to restore operations after a major cyber incident forced it to shut down systems, halting both retail and production activities. The breach, disclosed earlier this week, has left thousands of factory workers at home until at least Tuesday as the company attempts a controlled restart of global applications.

Owned by India’s Tata Motors, JLR stressed there is no evidence customer data has been stolen so far. The company described the attack as “severely disruptive” to its operations across its three British car plants, where it employs around 33,000 people, making it the UK’s largest automotive employer.

The disruption adds to JLR’s mounting challenges. The company already reported an 11% sales drop in July, partly due to a U.S. export pause after Trump’s car import tariffs, and has cut its 2026 profit margin target from 10% to 5%-7%. Like other European automakers, it also faces weak demand in China and slower sales in Europe.

The attack mirrors a global trend of escalating ransomware campaigns hitting household names. Earlier this year, Marks & Spencer estimated its own cyber breach cost about £300 million ($405 million) in lost profit. Analysts warn that JLR’s recovery could also come with significant financial fallout if disruptions stretch beyond next week.

Accenture to Acquire Australian Cybersecurity Firm CyberCX in $650 Million Deal

/in /tarafından

Accenture (ACN.N) announced on Thursday that it will acquire Australian cybersecurity company CyberCX in what represents its largest-ever deal in the sector. The Australian Financial Review reported the transaction is valued at over A$1 billion ($650 million).

The deal highlights the growing demand for advanced cybersecurity services as businesses face increasingly sophisticated digital threats. Australia has seen a series of high-profile cyberattacks, including the 2022 Optus breach that exposed data of up to 10 million users, and a Medibank hack affecting nearly 10 million customers. In July, Qantas Airways also reported a breach of one of its call centres, impacting six million customers.

Melbourne-based CyberCX was created in 2019 through the merger of 12 smaller cybersecurity firms backed by private equity firm BGH Capital, which is selling the company. CyberCX employs around 1,400 staff and operates security operations centres across Australia and New Zealand, with additional offices in London and New York.

The company is led by John Paitaridis, formerly managing director of Optus Business, and Chief Strategy Officer Alastair MacGibbon, who previously served as Australia’s national cybersecurity coordinator. Their experience is notable given Optus’ 2022 data breach that compromised names, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and passport and driver’s license information.

Accenture has been actively expanding its security services, completing 20 acquisitions in the sector since 2015, including Brazilian firm Morphus, MNEMO Mexico, and Spain-based Innotec Security. Domestically, Accenture signed a $700 million collaborative agreement with Telstra in February to implement AI capabilities across the telecommunications company.

Australia’s Privacy Regulator Sues Optus Over Massive 2022 Data Breach

/in /tarafından

Australia’s privacy regulator, the Australian Information Commissioner (AIC), has filed a lawsuit against Optus, the Singapore Telecommunications-owned carrier, alleging violations of the Privacy Act 1988 related to a 2022 cyberattack that compromised personal data of nearly 9.5 million customers.

The lawsuit names both Singtel Optus Pty Ltd and Optus Systems Pty Ltd as defendants. The AIC claims a separate breach for each affected customer, with potential fines up to A$2.2 million per breach. However, the regulator has not disclosed the total fine amount sought. Optus is currently reviewing the claims but has not yet assessed the financial impact.

The September 2022 cyberattack is considered one of the worst data breaches in Australia’s history, exposing sensitive information including home addresses, passport details, and phone numbers. Around 10 million Australians—about 40% of the population—were affected, and many experienced a significant disruption to mobile, broadband, and landline services.

The breach sparked calls from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for stronger privacy laws and faster breach notifications, especially to banks. Optus has also faced ongoing criticism due to a 12-hour nationwide network outage in 2023, leading to the resignation of then-CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin.

In addition to this legal action, Optus was taken to court by Australia’s domestic media regulator earlier in 2024 over the same cyberattack.