- Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed a cyberattack that severely disrupted its vehicle production and retail operations.
- The breach, detected on Sunday, forced the company to shut down its IT systems as a precaution.
- The incident coincided with the launch of new UK registration plates, a key sales period. Workers at the Halewood plant were told not to report to work.
- JLR says there’s no evidence customer data was stolen, but the disruption adds to recent financial challenges, including losses linked to US tariffs.
Jaguar Land Rover is scrambling to recover from a cyberattack that brought its production lines and retail systems to a grinding halt — and the timing couldn’t be worse.
The breach, which began on Sunday, was detected while in progress, prompting the company to shut down its IT systems in a bid to contain the damage. By Monday morning, staff at the Halewood plant in Merseyside were told not to come in, with others sent home — a move that coincided with the release of new UK registration plates, traditionally one of the busiest periods for car sales.
In a statement, JLR confirmed the attack had “severely disrupted” operations but said there was no evidence that customer data had been compromised. The company is now working to restart its global applications in a controlled manner.
The disruption comes on the heels of a reported slump in profits, which JLR attributed to rising costs from US tariffs. It also follows a string of cyberattacks targeting major UK retailers, including Co-op and Marks & Spencer, where hackers sought to extort money.
While the identity of the attackers remains unknown, the incident underscores the growing vulnerability of manufacturing firms to digital threats — especially during high-stakes commercial windows.
For JLR, the priority now is restoring production and retail systems without further delay. But with operations frozen and dealers unable to register new vehicles, the fallout is already being felt across the supply chain.
