TCS pilots AI-led cybersecurity measures after JLR breach
What's the story
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's leading IT services provider, is testing a set of standardized cybersecurity protocols for its major clients. The move comes in the wake of a major cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), one of TCS's key customers. The attack at the luxury carmaker is expected to cost up to $1 billion, according to Mint.
Incident impact
Cyberattack on JLR disrupted production, exposed employee data
The cyberattack on JLR disrupted vehicle production and exposed employee data. It has also drawn regulatory scrutiny and could lead to legal action against the company. To avoid similar consequences for other clients, TCS is piloting fixed cybersecurity response frameworks. The company is forming six specialized teams of about 150 professionals to run these pilots and test predefined procedures to minimize damage during cyber incidents.
Protocol details
TCS's cybersecurity measures include AI tools and video verification
The cybersecurity measures being tested by TCS include video-based verification of employees responsible for critical IT support, use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to monitor hacker movement within systems, and deployment of additional cybersecurity layers to strengthen network protection. Once validated, the results of these pilots will be showcased to clients and integrated into their IT environments.
Contract details
TCS's role in JLR's IT operations
TCS signed a five-year, $1 billion IT transformation deal with JLR back in September 2023. The contract covers back-end IT operations, cloud migration, cybersecurity, data services, and application development. The cyberattack disrupted vehicle production as well as repairs at several JLR facilities and prompted close oversight from senior Tata Group leadership.
Recovery efforts
Company's response to JLR cyberattack
TCS engaged cybersecurity firms Unit 42 of Palo Alto Networks, Google Mandiant, and Fenix24 to respond to the attack and support data recovery efforts. Saket Modi, co-founder and CEO of cyber risk quantification firm Safe Security, warned that such breaches can lead to class action lawsuits, regulatory penalties, and long-term reputational damage. He estimates the overall cost of the JLR fallout at around $1.5 billion.