JLR hack: UK government tapped into production recovery
Jaguar Land Rover remains paralysed after a hacking attack on 1 September. Assembly lines in the UK have been idle for almost three weeks, with the company promising to restart assembly lines on 24 September.
Here's What We Know
JLR's recovery has been joined by the UK government. According to industry body SMMT, government experts are helping the company restore IT systems and assessing the risks to suppliers. Unite union warns: the supply chain is on the verge of collapse, some workers have already been put on reduced or zero-hours contracts, and some supplier companies may go bankrupt.
Economists estimate JLR's losses at £5m a day. Former Aston Martin chief Andy Palmer recently pointed out that suppliers try to hang on in the first few weeks but then inevitably move to staff cuts.
Unions and MPs are demanding the government introduce a temporary support programme similar to the scheme with bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis in Scotland.
The Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters, the group that previously paralysed Marks Spencer, has claimed responsibility for the attack. Access was reportedly gained through a vulnerability in SAP Netweaver. It has not yet been revealed exactly what data has been stolen, but police and cyber specialists are still investigating.
Source: Autocar
