Jaguar Land Rover is believed to be losing up to £50million per week after a cyber attack halted production at the top UK brand. Under normal circumstances, JLR would build more than 1,000 cars per day across its three UK factories.
However, a cyber attack struck the marque at the end of August, shutting down the company’s IT network, with production halted and staff sent home. Earlier this week, the British brand confirmed that factories will not reopen to operations until October 1, meaning they would have been down for over one month. But, the disruption could still last well into November in a blow for one of Britain’s biggest manufacturers.
Earlier this week, JLR explained teams were still “working around the clock” to make sure the company was back up and running.
They said: “Our teams continue to work around the clock alongside cybersecurity specialists, the National Cyber Security Centre, and law enforcement to ensure we restart in a safe and secure manner.
“Our focus remains on supporting our customers, suppliers, colleagues, and our retailers, who remain open. We fully recognise this is a difficult time and we thank everyone for their continued support and patience.”
However, there have been concerns around Jaguar Land Rover suppliers who risk going out of business as a result of the pause in production.
Many smaller firms solely rely on JLR’s business and could struggle to pay their bills without an ongoing supply of orders. It is understood that ministers are considering stepping in with the Government buying up components to keep firms in business.
It comes after trade unions had demanded workers were placed on a furlough scheme that has since been ruled out by Labour officials. Business Secretary Peter Kyle earlier stressed it was the Government’s aim to provide “certainty” to those affected by the closures.
He said: “I know this is a deeply worrying time for all those affected by the ongoing cyber incident and that’s why I visited JLR today to hear from the company, supply chain and workers. Getting JLR back online as soon as possible is my top priority, providing much-needed certainty to workers and suppliers.”
Express.co.uk has contacted Jaguar Land Rover for further comment.
