British car maker Jaguar Land Rover has reported the restoration of some of its IT systems following a cyber attack at the end of last month.
Since August 31, production has been stopped throughout the car-making supply chain, leading to staff being unable to work due to 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 stated.
«The foundational work of our recovery program is firmly in progress.»
As part of the partial restart, supplier payments are resuming.
«We have significantly enhanced IT processing capacity for invoicing,» the statement noted. «We are now focused on clearing the backlog of payments to our suppliers as swiftly as possible.»
The supply of parts to customers worldwide can now resume.
Following a workaround on Tuesday that allowed cars to be delivered to buyers without the usual online registration, the financial system for processing wholesale vehicles is now operational.
«We can now sell and register vehicles for our customers more efficiently, ensuring vital cash flow,» the company confirmed.
«These are crucial initial steps as our dedicated teams work tirelessly alongside cybersecurity experts, the UK Government’s NCSC, and law enforcement to ensure a safe and secure restart.»
Our primary focus remains on assisting our customers, suppliers, colleagues, and retailers. We understand that this is a challenging period for everyone associated with JLR, and we appreciate the ongoing support and patience from all parties.»
The impact of the closure
Over 33,000 individuals are directly employed by JLR in the UK, with many working on assembly lines in the West Midlands, particularly at the largest facility in Solihull, and at a plant in Halewood on Merseyside.
An estimated additional 200,000 people are employed by numerous companies in the supply chain, facing a prolonged disruption in trade with what is for many their primary client.
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