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30 September 2025
At a Glance
In August 2025, Jaguar Land Rover suffered a cyberattack that halted production and disrupted supply chains. The incident highlights the operational and financial risks of IT outages, the importance of a clear incident response, and the vulnerability of all businesses. SMEs can learn key lessons to strengthen continuity and cyber security.
The Recent Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack
In August 2025, Jaguar Land Rover suffered a cyberattack that caused it to suspend all production lines. Their systems went down, and supply chains were impacted deeply.
The attack significantly caused delays and frustration for employees with many teams not able to access the systems they rely on every day. It also exposed vulnerabilities in IT systems that could be exploited by cybercriminals.
According to recent reports, the company has restored some of their IT systems as suppliers call for urgent support. However, the full extent of the damage is still unknown, and the entire incident can be a valuable lesson for SMEs across the UK.
In this blog, we’ll break down 4 lessons that SMEs can learn from the Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack to maintain business continuity and ensure that their business has robust cyber security measures in place.
1. Cyber Incidents Can Ripple Through Your Supply Chain
The cyberattack was made directly on Jaguar Land Rover’s own systems, disrupting its supply chain and halting production in the UK. As a result, suppliers faced delays and operational strain. This shows how quickly cyber issues can spread from your partners to your business, or vice versa.
Even if your business isn’t directly targeted, a breach in one of your suppliers or partners can affect your business operations.
One weak link in the system can potentially slow down or damage everyone’s daily operations and create unexpected challenges.
It may be worthwhile checking the cyber security of any key suppliers or partners you rely on before signing long-term contracts. Asking for proof of compliance, like Cyber Essentials certification, helps ensure that suppliers meet necessary security standards and can be trusted to support your operations.
Including supply chain risks in your cyber strategy helps protect your business. It reduces the chance that a problem elsewhere will halt your operations and keeps your processes running smoothly.
2. The Cost of Downtime Can Be Unpredictable
The cyberattack forced Jaguar Land Rover to shut down production lines and many of its systems in the UK. Some systems were only restored weeks later, and production stood still for nearly a month.
This shows how quickly an IT outage can turn into serious operational and financial problems. Even high-profile companies with deep pockets face significant losses.
This raises important questions for businesses, especially SMEs that are still growing. Namely, how can your business minimise downtime without disrupting daily operations?
For starters, having a disaster recovery plan with clear Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) is critical to keeping your business protected.
That said, the best way to ensure you don’t have to deal with downtime is by outsourcing your IT to reliable managed service providers who are available 24/7, such as Redpalm. To find out more about how we can help, click here.
3. Incident Response is Just as Important as Prevention
After the cyberattack, Jaguar Land Rover had to scramble to restore its systems. Some systems took days to come back online, showing how critical a fast response can be.
With how much cybercriminal tactics have evolved over the last decade, especially with the rise of AI, even the strongest preventative measures can fail. That said, how you respond makes a huge difference to downtime and losses.
Ideally, your business should have a proactive incident response plan in place to spot gaps in your cyber security. However, no plan is airtight and should something slip through, the plan should outline standard operating procedures to minimise the damage.
This includes knowing who to call, how to isolate affected systems, understanding the importance of communication with customers, and how to recover important data from backups.
Being prepared helps reduce confusion and limits damage when an unexpected attack occurs.
4. High-Profile Targets Make the News, But SMEs are the Most Vulnerable
The Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack grabbed headlines because it affected one of the biggest names in the world. High-profile companies get attention, but SMEs face just as much risk, if not more. This is because they often have to work with fewer resources, making them an easy target for cybercriminals.
It’s important to invest in a robust cyber security plan, monitor your systems, keep software up to date, and have a clear plan in place in case of any unpleasant surprises. Taking these steps early helps reduce the chance of disruption and prevents your business from being a prime target for such attacks.
Contact Redpalm to Safeguard Your Business Today
If you’re a small business owner who doesn’t have a trusted IT support provider to rely on, the recent Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack might have you worried about your business continuity. That’s where Redpalm can put your worries to rest.
Redpalm is a managed service provider (MSP) and a trusted cyber security partner. We equip your business with advanced IT infrastructure to swiftly identify and neutralise any security risks.
Our wide range of services includes technology procurement, vulnerability assessments, endpoint management, and more.
To learn more about our managed IT services, click here or contact us to schedule an appointment today.
