Hackers stop production of this Tata Motors-owned premium car brand; company asks employees to stay home

Jaguar Land Rover

(JLR) has temporarily halted production and told factory staff to stay home following a cyberattack over the weekend. The attack forced the UK-based car maker, which Tata Motors owns, to take its critical IT systems offline. This has disrupted car sales and halted production at factories across the UK, including those in Halewood, Solihull, and Wolverhampton. The company is now working to restore its systems and has warned that the production suspension could be extended. Beyond JLR's own facilities, the cyberattack has also caused significant disruption, with car sales being heavily impacted, forcing the company's network of parts suppliers to restrict their operations. According to a report by the BBC, some repair garages in the UK have also warned that existing owners of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles may face delays if their cars need new parts. The attack was particularly ill-timed, as it coincided with the release of new registration plates on September 1, a traditionally popular time for new vehicle deliveries.

Who is behind this cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover

A hacker group linked to a major earlier cyberattack on retail chain Marks and Spencer claimed to have breached JLR’s systems, the report added. The group, which calls itself “Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters” and is believed to be a network of English-speaking teenagers, told the BBC they had allegedly gained access to the carmaker’s network but did not confirm whether any sensitive data was stolen or malware was installed.

To back their claims, they shared two images—one showing what appeared to be internal troubleshooting instructions for a charging issue, and another displaying internal computer logs.According to a cybersecurity expert, the screenshots suggested the hackers had access to information not meant to be public.JLR confirmed it is investigating the incident but said there is currently no evidence that customer data has been compromised.In 2023, the company signed a five-year, £800 million contract with Tata Consultancy Services—its corporate affiliate—to provide cybersecurity and IT support as part of a push to “accelerate digital transformation across its business.”The reported breach comes at a difficult time for JLR, which recently posted a drop in profits due to higher costs tied to US tariffs.