Jaguar Land Rover extends suspension of its factories After cyberattack

British company Jaguar Land Rover (JLR, owned by India’s Tata Group) has extended the suspension of its plant operations until October 1 following a recent cyberattack, the car manufacturer announced.

The extension will cost JLR tens of millions of pounds a day in lost revenue, raise major concerns about companies and jobs in the supply chain, and raise further questions about the vulnerability of UK industry to cyber assaults, Caliber.Az reports via a UK news channel.

A spokesperson said of the move: "We have made this decision to give clarity for the coming week as we build the timeline for the phased restart of our operations and continue our investigation.

More than 33,000 people work directly for JLR in the UK, many of them employed on assembly lines in the West Midlands, the largest of which is in Solihull, and a plant at Halewood on Merseyside.

An estimated 200,000 more are employed by several hundred companies in the supply chain, who face a prolonged interruption to trade with what for many will be their largest client.

"Our focus remains on supporting our customers, suppliers, colleagues, and our retailers who remain open. We fully recognise this is a difficult time for all connected with JLR and we thank everyone for their continued support and patience," the spokesperson added.

JLR has also halted operations in China, Slovakia, India, and Brazil, after its IT systems were disabled by the cyberattack. In the UK, only limited maintenance work is being carried out at its Solihull plant while production lines remain idle.

By Khagan Isayev