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Showing posts with label payroll security breach. Show all posts

Jaguar Land Rover Confirms Employee Data Theft After August 2025 Cyberattack

 

British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed that a cyberattack uncovered in August 2025 led to the theft of payroll and personal data of thousands of current and former employees. After this disclosure, the company asked the affected people to remain alert about identity theft, phishing attempts, and financial fraud. 

The breach represents the first official acknowledgement from JLR that employee personal information was compromised during the incident. Earlier statements had focused largely on the operational disruption caused by the attack, which forced the temporary shutdown of vehicle production across several manufacturing facilities for several weeks. The company employs more than 38,000 people worldwide. Records pertaining to former employees and contractors were also affected. 

Internal communications shared with staff revealed that forensic investigations determined attackers took unauthorized access to payroll administration systems. These systems would include sensitive employment-related records, including data associated with salaries, pension contributions, employee benefits, and information about dependents. While JLR has stated that there is currently no evidence that the stolen information has been publicly leaked or actively misused, the nature of the exposed data creates a heightened risk profile.  

Cybersecurity experts point out that payroll systems usually host very sensitive identifiers such as bank account details, national insurance numbers, tax information, residential addresses, and compensation records. Even partial data exposure could increase the chances of identity fraud, account takeover attempts, and targeted social engineering attacks by a great degree. In response, JLR has recommended that the affected keep themselves aware of unsolicited communications and enhance passwords related to personal and professional accounts. 

For the sake of mitigation, the company has declared two years of free credit and identity monitoring services for its current and former affected employees. A dedicated helpline is also established for phone support, to assist with queries, advise on protective measures, and take reports of suspected fraudulent activity. This decision by JLR comes after forensic analysis had continued post-restoration of safe production operations. 

The breach has been formally reported to the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which has confirmed it is conducting enquiries into the incident. The regulator has asked for more information about the extent of the breach, what security controls were in place at the time of the attack, and what remedial action has been taken since the intrusion was detected. The after-effects of the cyberattack spilled over beyond JLR's workforce. 

The disruption reportedly affected almost 5,000 supplier and partner organizations, reflecting the interconnected nature of modern manufacturing supply chains. Estimates place the overall economic impact of the incident at roughly ₹20,000 crore. Official figures suggest the disruption contributed to a measurable contraction in the UK economy during September 2025. JLR also announced that the attack resulted in the quarterly sales decline of an estimated ₹15,750 crore, along with a one-time recovery and remediation cost of around ₹2,060 crore. 

The costs comprised restoration of systems, security controls enhancement, and incident response. The intrusion, which was earlier claimed by a hacking group named "Scattered Lapsus Hunters" that had earlier been involved with attacks on major retail organizations, has alleged that the organization also accessed customer data. 
However, Jaguar Land Rover claims that evidence supporting those claims has not been found. Investigations are ongoing, and the firm has announced that it will keep informing employees, regulators, and other stakeholders as more information becomes available.

Kelly Benefits Data Breach Balloons to Over Half a Million Victims—What You Need to Know

 

When a business experiences a significant data breach, understanding the full impact can take a long time. That’s exactly the situation Kelly Benefits is now facing.

According to a report by BleepingComputer, Kelly & Associates Insurance Group—widely known as Kelly Benefits—has disclosed that a cybersecurity incident from December 12–17 last year has affected far more people than initially believed.

Originally, the company reported in April that 32,234 individuals had been impacted after hackers infiltrated its systems and accessed sensitive information. Over the past three months, however, the number has continued to climb. The latest figures show that 553,660 people are now at risk because of this breach.

In a public notice, Kelly Benefits explained that 46 companies relying on its services were caught up in the incident. Even if you haven’t worked directly with Kelly Benefits, you may still be affected if your employer or insurance carrier uses their benefits consulting, payroll management, or enrollment technology.

Some of the prominent organizations named in the breach notification include:

  • Wawa
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna Life Insurance Company (CVS Health)
  • Humana Insurance ACE
  • CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
  • Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company
  • The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America

To help people understand the risks, Kelly Benefits has sent personalized letters outlining exactly what data was exposed. The compromised information varies by person but could include full names, Social Security numbers, tax ID numbers, birth dates, health and medical insurance details, and financial account information.

As BleepingComputer highlighted, criminals armed with this data could attempt phishing scams, identity theft, or other fraudulent schemes. Under U.S. law, companies must notify you about what specific information was stolen. These notices typically arrive via postal mail, not by email or text. So if your employer works with Kelly Benefits, keep an eye on your mailbox in the coming weeks.

To mitigate the damage, Kelly Benefits is providing affected individuals with a year of complimentary identity theft protection from IDX. The notification letters include an enrollment code to activate this service. If you receive one, it’s highly recommended you sign up—it can help you recover your identity or reclaim stolen funds if fraud occurs.

In the meantime, be proactive:
  1. Monitor all your financial accounts for suspicious activity
  2. Consider placing a credit freeze with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to prevent new loans from being opened in your name
  3. Watch for phishing attempts targeting your stolen information

Even if you do everything right, you can still become a victim of a data breach simply because a company you trust relies on a third party. That’s why it’s essential to take immediate action if your personal or financial data has been compromised.

With cyberattacks and security incidents becoming more frequent, early vigilance and continuous monitoring are your best defenses against identity theft and fraud.