Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said parts of its IT systems are back online amid a “phased restart” of its operations following a major cyber attack.
The British carmaker has paused production at its UK factories for several weeks after being targeted by hackers.
The company said it is “working to clear a backlog of payments” to suppliers, and has increased its processing capacity for invoicing.
A cyber attack on the carmaker in August forced it to shut down its IT networks and suspend production lines. Factories remain closed until next month at the earliest.
A statement from JLR said: “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. The foundational work of our recovery programme is firmly underway.”
The company’s centre for supplying parts to distribution centres for retailers in the UK and globally is returning to full operations, JLR confirmed.
The financial system used to process the wholesale of vehicles has also been brought back online, meaning sales and registration are now faster again.
JLR said it is working with cybersecurity specialists, the UK Government’s NCSC and law enforcement.
“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,” its statement said.
The government has said it was considering intervening to support JLR’s parts suppliers, with concerns growing that some, could go bust due to the shutdown of operations, especially small businesses.
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