JLR’s UK dealer network and production facilities have been “severely disrupted” by a cyber attack.
An announcement from JLR said: “We took immediate motion to mitigate its impact by proactively shutting down our systems.
“We at the moment are working at pace to restart our global applications in a controlled manner.
“At this stage there isn’t a evidence any customer data has been stolen but our retail and production activities have been severely disrupted.”
It is known that the attack took place on Sunday, just before the plate-change on September 1.
Automotive Management understands that the impact on recent automotive sales and customer handovers this week has to date been limited, but there’s risk that the system shutdown could delay factory orders and warranty work for purchasers.
“So long as you’ve got stock around you, I feel you will be okay,” one JLR franchisee told us. Nevertheless, the dealer hopes the situation will likely be resolved rapidly.
The Liverpool Echo has reported that staff at JLR’s Halewood production facility were told not to enter work on Monday morning because of this of the incident.
The incident follows on from recent high profile attacks on retail brands like Marks & Spencer, The Co-Op and Harrods.
Dealer groups within the UK are also constant goal from skilled hackers which are seeking to hold their customers’ data to ransom.
Groups affected up to now include Arnold Clark, TrustFord, JCT600 and Holdcroft are among the most high profile examples.
This 12 months’s Automotive Continue to exist November 12 will feature a strategic session on the way to tackle cybercrime, with outside industry expertise from Tesco’s head of cybercrime engagement, in addition to BDO’s senior manager for privacy and data protection.
Mark Tibbs, a partner inside the cyber risk and complicated investigations practice at Mishcon, said this latest incident is yet one other unwelcome reminder of the threats facing British brands.
Tibbs said: “JLR’s swift motion in proactively shutting down and dealing to revive systems, together with their transparent messaging, shows commendable crisis management.
“Nevertheless, the severe disruption to retail and production activities highlights just how serious the impacts of cyber attacks could be.
“This is available in the wake of several notable incidents over the past few years, with several British household names falling victim to ransomware attacks, causing operational problems, impacting customer confidence, and in some cases denting financial bottom lines.”
Tibbs suggested that if production facilities have been affected, it means the hack can have reached operational technology (OT), the systems that operate manufacturing production.
He added: “When faced with cyber attacks, corporations could also be forced to modify off OT systems as a precaution, to stop the attack from spreading or causing physical damage.
“Alternatively, the disruption could possibly be a results of IT systems being so interconnected with production processes that any shutdown has a direct knock-on effect on manufacturing.
“Either way, this may likely result in delays, supply chain interruptions and challenges for deliveries to customers and retailers.”
This Article First Appeared At www.am-online.com
