Jaguar Land Rover says some IT systems back online after cyber attack

Major British car maker Jaguar Land Rover has said some of its IT systems are back online after being hit by a cyber attack late last month.

Since 31 August, production has been halted across the car-making supply chain, with staff off work as a result of the attack.

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"As part of the controlled, phased restart of our operations, today we have informed colleagues, suppliers and retail partners that sections of our digital estate are now up and running," a company spokesperson said in a statement.

"The foundational work of our recovery programme is firmly underway."

Production is still not expected to start again until 1 October at the earliest.

As part of the partial restart, supplier payments can begin again.

"We have significantly increased IT processing capacity for invoicing," the statement said. "We are now working to clear the backlog of payments to our suppliers as quickly as we can."

The supply of parts to customers across the world can also now recommence.

After a workaround was reached on Tuesday to allow cars to move to buyers without the usual online registration, the financial system to process wholesale vehicles is back online.

"We are able to sell and register vehicles for our clients faster, delivering important cash flow", the company said.

"These are important initial steps as our dedicated teams work around the clock alongside cybersecurity specialists, the UK Government's NCSC 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. We fully recognise this is a difficult time for all connected with JLR and we thank everyone for their continued support and patience."

The impact of the closure

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.

Calls for government financial support have been growing, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, "I haven't got an outcome here to give to you today".

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