Jaguar Land Rover Hack, SpamGPT, No Chrome Sale, & Mischief Marketing

LITS bits: 

 This week, Matt and Griff cover a range of topics, including Jaguar Land Rover's recent £1.5 billion loan to recover from a cyber attack, the emergence of Spam GPT, GPT's interaction with online shopping, and upcoming features like Chat GPT Pulse. We also touch on the ongoing legal battles of tech giants like Google and TikTok, and delve into some clever guerrilla marketing tactics employed by major brands. Tune in for engaging conversations and notable insights as we kick off Cybersecurity Awareness Month!

Have a listen and find details about each topic below:

Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack: Restart on the Horizon

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is preparing to restart production after a crippling cyberattack forced operations offline on September 1st.

• Phased Restart: Manufacturing will resume first at the Wolverhampton engine plant on October 6th, with Solihull and Halewood to follow in the coming weeks. Full recovery could take time.
• Partnerships in Recovery: JLR is working with cybersecurity specialists, the UK National Cyber Security Centre, and law enforcement to ensure a secure return.
• Economic Strain: The disruption has rippled across JLR’s supply chain, which supports ~100,000 jobs. Smaller suppliers warn of bankruptcy risks without further financial help.
• Government Response: The UK government has pledged £1.5 billion in loan guarantees to stabilize JLR and its partners.

This incident is part of a wider wave of cyberattacks hitting UK companies, including Harrods, M&S, and Co-op—signaling an escalating threat to critical industries.

👉 Read more on BBC

“SpamGPT”: Phishing as a Service?

A new cybercriminal tool dubbed “SpamGPT” is turning phishing into a marketer-grade operation.

• How it Works: SpamGPT mimics CRM platforms with bulk email imports, inbox monitoring, and deliverability testing—but for phishing.
• AI-Generated Lures: It creates convincing subject lines, body text, and spoofed templates designed to evade detection.
• Lowering the Barrier: Built-in tutorials mean even low-skill attackers can launch campaigns at scale.

Why it matters: Expect higher-volume, more convincing phishing attacks, increasing risks for businesses and consumers alike.

Defensive moves:

• Enforce DMARC, SPF, DKIM email protections
• Deploy MFA and strong segmentation
• Run continuous phishing simulations
• Explore AI-powered anomaly detection

👉 Full story at TechRadar

 “Buy It in ChatGPT”: AI Shopping Goes Native

OpenAI has announced “Instant Checkout”—a move that shifts ChatGPT from suggestion engine to transaction hub.

• How it works: U.S. users can now buy items directly in-chat, starting with Etsy listings; Shopify merchants are next.
• Behind the scenes: Powered by the new Agentic Commerce Protocol, co-developed with Stripe, making it easier for merchants to integrate.
• Implications: AI could become the front door for shopping, reshaping discovery, attribution, and brand loyalty.

Questions ahead:

• Who controls visibility in AI storefronts?
• How do brands “optimize” for AI ranking?
• What are the privacy safeguards around tokenized payments?

👉 Details from OpenAI

ChatGPT Pulse: Proactive Updates

OpenAI also launched ChatGPT Pulse—daily update cards that anticipate what users might want to know.

• Rolling out first to Pro mobile users
• Optional connections (like Gmail or Calendar) enrich personalization
• Built-in safety filters aim to reduce errors, but accuracy will depend on user feedback

This marks a shift from reactive Q&A to anticipatory assistance, raising fresh questions about privacy, manipulation, and trust.

👉 Preview here

TikTok Deal: U.S. Lifeline with Strings Attached

A new executive order gives TikTok a path forward in the U.S.—with conditions.

• TikTok to operate via a U.S.-based joint venture, with Oracle and others as stakeholders
• ByteDance expected to hold less than 20%
• Pending both U.S. and Chinese government approvals

This restructuring could set a precedent for national-security-driven tech deals worldwide.

👉 More at CNBC

Google Antitrust Ruling

A federal judge ruled Google doesn’t need to spin off Chrome or Android but must:

• Stop exclusive search contracts
• Share search index data with competitors
• Submit to oversight by a Technical Committee for six years

Google plans to appeal, citing privacy risks and AI-driven competition.

👉 Coverage from 9to5Google

Marketing Trend: Mischief Rules

Brands are breaking norms to cut through ad fatigue:

• Burger King Brazil hijacked Google Maps by uploading coupons to competitors’ galleries
• Liquid Death stirred controversy with “Kegs for Pregs”
• IKEA Canada sent cheeky “U up?” texts after midnight

This “Mischief Marketing” trend thrives on surprise, rule-breaking, and humor to win attention.

👉 The Drum explains

Quick Bytes

• 📖 Merriam-Webster teased a new “LLM” dictionary—with 217,000 parameters and zero datacenters. See the teaser
• ⏰ Fun fact: The iPhone alarm’s time picker is just a really, really long list. Proof here