Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has reportedly told staff the cyber-raid that crippled its operations in August didn't just bring production to a screeching halt - it also walked off with the personal payroll data of thousands of employees. The breach, which was pegged as one of the most costly in UK history, includes bank account details, tax codes, and other sensitive data related to staff salaries, benefits, and former employees. In an email to both current employees and former employees, seen by The Telegraph, JLR wrote: "While investigating, we have unfortunately identified that there has been unauthorised access to some personal data we process in the context of employment and some information needed to administer payroll, benefits and staff schemes to employees and dependents. This includes data of ex-JLR team members that has been stored."
Johnathan Dudley, Head of Manufacturing and SME Corporates at Crowe, said speed was critical if small suppliers were to survive: "It is absolutely vital that the money starts to filter down the chain - and quickly. The depth of penetration of the loan funding is an issue. Will it trickle down the supply chain and across ancillary businesses fast enough, wide enough and far enough before companies run out of cash?"
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. Our teams continue to work around the clock alongside cybersecurity specialists, the 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, who remain open.
We have taken this decision as our forensic investigation of the cyber incident continues, and as we consider the different stages of the controlled restart of our global operations, which will take time.
Jaguar Land Rover has issued a cease-and-desist letter to the Rail Delivery Group, demanding the removal of the terms 'ranger' and 'rover' from rail tickets due to trademark infringement.
Jaguar Land Rover's quarterly sales fell by more than 10%, with total units sold decreasing from 97,755 to 87,286 compared to the same period last year.