Russian hackers were responsible for the cyberattack that crippled Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) last year, according to a new report from The New York Times, citing people familiar with the investigation.
The attack targeted one of the United Kingdom’s largest employers, forcing production to stop for months and causing widespread economic disruption. The impact was so significant that the U.K. government stepped in with a £1.5 billion (about $2 billion) financial support package. Overall, the cyberattack is estimated to have cost the British economy around $2.5 billion.
While investigators had spent months trying to identify those behind the breach, the latest report points to Russian hackers. It remains unclear whether the group was directly linked to the Russian government, operated independently as cybercriminals, or worked with unofficial approval from the Kremlin.
According to the report, Microsoft had been tracking the Russian hacking group and alerted Jaguar Land Rover about its findings. The investigation also involved the FBI, the U.K.’s National Crime Agency, the National Cyber Security Centre, Google-owned Mandiant, and Palo Alto Networks.
Investigators also discovered that the Russian group was not the only threat inside JLR’s systems. A separate hacker from Jordan, known online as “Rey,” had also gained access to parts of the company’s network. The case highlights how multiple threat actors can exploit the same organization at the same time, making incident response even more challenging.
The investigation continues, and officials have not publicly confirmed whether the Russian hackers were acting on behalf of the state or operating solely for financial gain.
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