Jaguar Land Rover cyber-attack was state-sponsored, former minister says

Former armed forces minister Al Carns has suggested that the cyber-attack targeting Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) last year was state-sponsored. Speaking at a Chatham House event, Carns noted that an attack of such scale would be highly unlikely to occur without the knowledge of a host state.

The attack, which occurred in August last year, is estimated to have caused between £1.6 billion and £2.1 billion in damages, making it the most economically damaging cyber-attack in British history. The breach forced JLR to halt production for five weeks and impacted approximately 5,000 organizations, including showrooms, repair shops, and various parts manufacturers.

While a previous investigation by The New York Times linked the incident to a Russian hacking group, Carns clarified that his comments were not based on an official Ministry of Defence assessment. The disruption required a coordinated response involving the National Crime Agency, the National Cyber Security Centre, Google, and the FBI.