MPs demand transparency over reports Russians hacked Jaguar Land Rover
An investigation by the New York Times reported that the hack had been carried out by a Russian group, raising questions about whether the attack had been ordered by the Kremlin
MPs have demanded transparency from the Government over reports Russia was behind a cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover that cost the UK economy £1.9 billion.
Listen to this article
The carmaker halted production for five weeks in September last year following the cyber attack, and around 5,000 businesses were said to have been affected by the fallout.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has previously linked the hack to a criminal group known as Scattered Spider.
But on Friday an investigation by the New York Times reported that the hack had been carried out by a Russian group, raising questions about whether the attack had been ordered by the Kremlin.
Citing people familiar with the investigation into the hack, the paper said experts had concluded the attack was different from those carried out by Scattered Spider and was Russian in origin.
In response to the report, Labour MP Graeme Downie said he had spent months calling for the Government to be more open about the incident “so the British people can see we are already in a conflict with Russia”.
Read More: Russian journalist found dead from 'mushroom poisoning' after revealing Putin's secret relationship
He added: “Cyber attacks, poisonings, sub-sea cables, a planned arson attack on the Prime Minister’s car. This is not ‘sub threshold’ or ‘grey’ activity.
“These Russian attacks directly impact ordinary British people every day. We should tell them that and protect them.”
His comments were backed by former armed forces minister Al Carns, who also linked the hack to incidents such as attempted Russian interference around Britain’s sub-sea cables and last year’s arson attacks on the Prime Minister’s home.
He said: “Russian hackers shut down the biggest carmaker in Britain for five weeks, costing billions in damage, a massive hit on the economy and thousands of jobs exposed.
“There was no ransom demand. They just wanted to see if they could do it. And now they have the answer.”
Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines officer said to be considering a run for the Labour leadership, added: “We can’t separate defending our country from defending the things that keep it running.”
He said: “Labour has one more chance to turn things around. We must focus on building a country that can take a hit and keep standing.
“National resilience. Whoever leads our party next has to make that the job.”
The Cabinet Office declined to comment on “ongoing investigations or operational activity”.
A spokesperson added: “We provided daily support to help Jaguar Land Rover respond to the attack and restart production lines, including cyber expertise from the National Cyber Security Centre.
“We’re taking concrete action to strengthen our cyber defences: from setting new standards through the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, to shortly announcing a generational upgrade to the country’s cyber defences through the National Cyber Action Plan.”