The cyberattack that has crippled Jaguar Land Rover's global operations continues to wreak havoc beyond the British carmaker's own factories, forcing key European suppliers to halt production and implement emergency measures as the crisis enters its fourth week.
German exhaust system manufacturer Eberspächer Gruppe has been compelled to suspend operations at its Slovakian facility in Nitra following the cyberattack that struck JLR over a fortnight ago. The German firm serves as a crucial supplier to JLR's Nitra plant, which assembles the popular Discovery and Defender SUVs.
"Since the cyberattack, production in our plant is also on hold," confirmed Eberspächer spokesperson Anja Kaufer. The company's 30 employees in Slovakia have been placed either on holiday or reduced working hours, receiving 80% of their usual wages whilst the facility remains shuttered.
JLR has extended its production pause until Wednesday, 24 September 2025, as forensic investigations into the cyber incident continue. The Tata Motors-owned company is estimated to be losing millions of pounds weekly due to the shutdown.
The ramifications stretch far beyond JLR's immediate operations. The Nitra plant alone produces approximately 130 000 vehicles annually and employs around 4 000 people, supporting an extensive network of regional suppliers who are now feeling the pinch.
Quality assurance firm Hollen has implemented operational restrictions due to the JLR shutdown, according to Chief Executive Tomas Osusky. "Nervousness is growing about what will happen next," he explained. "Several subcontractors have had to significantly scale back production depending on how strongly they are tied to Jaguar."
JLR took immediate action to mitigate the attack's impact by proactively shutting down systems, and whilst there's no evidence customer data has been stolen, retail and production activities have been severely disrupted. The cyberattack forced disconnection of systems across facilities in the UK, China, Slovakia, and India, with workers instructed to remain at home.
"We are working at pace to restart our global applications in a controlled manner," stated Katarina Chlebova, a JLR spokesperson in Slovakia. However, the company previously acknowledged that some data may have been compromised during the breach.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of modern automotive supply chains, where a single cyberattack can cascade through interconnected networks of suppliers and manufacturers. As JLR continues its forensic investigation and system restoration efforts, the wider automotive industry watches nervously, aware that similar attacks could devastate their own operations.
With production lines across Europe grinding to a halt and thousands of jobs hanging in the balance, the JLR cyberattack serves as a stark reminder of how digital threats can translate into very real economic consequences for entire industrial ecosystems.
The automotive sector has increasingly become a target for cybercriminals, with the complex web of suppliers and just-in-time manufacturing making the industry particularly susceptible to such disruptions.
