A former defence minister has publicly confirmed that the cyber-attack which crippled Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) last year was state-sponsored, marking the first official acknowledgement that a hostile foreign power orchestrated the breach.

The catastrophic hack cost an estimated £1.6bn to £2.1bn, making it the most expensive cyber-incident in British history by a wide margin. The attack forced the luxury car manufacturer to halt production entirely, throwing 200,000 jobs into jeopardy as operations remained shuttered for five weeks.

The fallout rippled across the supply chain, impacting roughly 5,000 organisations, including local showrooms, repair shops, and thousands of small parts manufacturers.

, who served as a defence minister until his resignation in June, revealed the state-sponsored nature of the attack during an address at the Chatham House think tank. Discussing the national approach to resilience and threat deterrence, Carns pointed to a lack of coherent public communication regarding national security threats, stating: “We know there is £15bn of cyber-attacks, we know there’s espionage going on… We know the Jaguar Land Rover attack was state-sponsored.”

While previous investigative reports from outlets like pointed toward Russian hacker groups, and highlighted early suspicions regarding Moscow, the government had previously refused to officially name the culprits. Former business minister Sir Chris Bryant had earlier declined to confirm or deny state involvement to MPs.

Mr Carns later clarified that his remarks were not based on an official Ministry of Defence assessment, though he noted that an attack of that magnitude could hardly occur without the host state’s knowledge.

The disclosure has triggered a political backlash. David Reed, a shadow defence minister, criticised the government for keeping the public in the dark, arguing that failing to hold hostile states to account sends a dangerous message of weakness.

The revelation also arrives amid heightened anxiety over UK cyber resilience. Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently urged the public to stockpile emergency supplies following widespread technical disruptions. While a government spokesperson declined to comment on ongoing operational security, the admission places renewed pressure on Westminster to address escalating state-backed cyber threats.

For latest tech stories go to TechDigest.tv