Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Asahi have announced a slow restart of production following disruptive cyberattacks that halted their operations and shutdown key systems. These incidents highlight the ongoing risks modern manufacturers face and shed light on the strategies needed for cyber resilience across industry sectors.
Table of Contents
What Happened to JLR and Asahi?
In recent months, both JLR, the iconic automotive group, and Asahi, the leading Japanese beer company, experienced significant cyber incidents.
- Jaguar Land Rover:
Production at plants in Merseyside and Solihull was brought to a standstill, with workers sent home. The disruption lasted over a month, costing the company millions per week. Systems shutdown and plant closures impacted not only 30,000 direct employees but also 200,000 supply chain workers.
JLR’s recovery was complicated by the lack of cyber-insurance, as negotiations for coverage were ongoing at the time of attack. To stabilize operations, the UK government provided a £1.5 billion loan, supporting affected workers and business partners.
- Asahi:
The cyberattack led to outages at up to 30 facilities across Japan, suspending brewing, order processing, and call-center functions. The result was a noticeable shortage of Asahi products in bars and restaurants, though European brands like Fullers and Peroni were not disrupted.
The Impact of Cyberattacks on Industry
These incidents demonstrate how a single attack can cascade across complex supply chains and markets. For JLR, every week of downtime meant huge financial losses and stalled momentum in automotive manufacturing. Asahi’s system failure disrupted nearly half of Japan’s beer supply, spotlighting how dependent modern companies are on secure digital workflows.
“Operational downtime is costly when cyber resilience isn’t robust enough to withstand disruption,” says Andy Ward, SVP International at Absolute Security. Without proper safeguards and insurance, recovery is much harder and more expensive.
Steps Toward Recovery
Both companies are now slowly resuming production, restoring business operations and distribution networks. Their recovery efforts include:
- Restoring backup data and systems as quickly as possible
- Bringing critical manufacturing lines online
- Improving network security protocols
- Working closely with suppliers and partners to restart the supply chain
JLR’s experience has placed renewed focus on the importance of cyber-insurance and proactive risk management, while Asahi’s incident highlights the need for resilient operational backups and improved system segmentation.
Lessons for Other Businesses
Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue; it is a production and revenue issue that affects thousands of jobs and customers. Key lessons include:
- Invest in robust backup systems and recovery procedures
- Maintain up-to-date cyber-insurance coverage
- Train employees in cybersecurity best practices
- Segment critical systems and partner networks to reduce risks
- Work with government and industry groups on coordinated response plans
As JLR and Asahi restore manufacturing and distribution, both will need to invest further in network resilience and threat detection. The impact of recent cyberattacks will likely drive more manufacturers to review and upgrade their technology, insurance, and crisis response strategies.
Ultimately, industrial businesses must adapt to the new reality of persistent cyber threats, building comprehensive protection and recovery protocols to safeguard employees, partners, and customers.
