UK monitors supply chain risks after Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack halts production
The UK government said Friday it is working with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) to assess the fallout of a cyberattack that has kept the automaker’s factories offline for more than three weeks. JLR, Britain’s largest carmaker, confirmed its plants will remain shut until at least September 24, extending the disruption first triggered in early September when production was halted to contain the breach.
The shutdown has sparked growing concern over the impact on JLR’s extensive supply chain, which supports 104,000 jobs across the country, many of them at small and medium-sized firms. The Unite trade union has warned the stoppage could lead to layoffs if the disruption persists and has called for government intervention to protect workers.
In a joint statement, the government and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said officials, including national cyber experts, are directly supporting JLR’s recovery efforts and working to evaluate the knock-on effects across the industry.
The incident underscores the vulnerability of major manufacturing operations to cyberattacks and the risks they pose to national supply chains, especially in sectors where thousands of smaller firms depend on the output of a single large manufacturer.