Jaguar Land Rover's production lines have sat idle for over a month after a devastating cyber attack in late August, costing an estimated £50 million per week. The attack hit during peak demand season, forcing thousands of suppliers into financial crisis.
This isn't isolated. Major retailers like Marks & Spencer and Co-op have faced attacks costing £300 million and £120 million respectively this year. A government survey found 612,000 UK businesses were targeted by hackers.
Experts blame the surge on teenage hackers renting ransomware from Russian criminals, targeting companies with vulnerable "just-in-time" supply chains. The UK's "laissez-faire" approach to cyber security over 15 years is now backfiring, with critical infrastructure increasingly at risk.
Source: BBC