Marks & Spencer (M&S) suffered a significant cyberattack in April, reportedly perpetrated by the hacking group DragonForce, resulting in substantial financial losses and operational disruptions. Sources indicate the attackers gained access via a compromised third-party vendor with system permissions.
The attack caused millions of pounds in lost sales, forcing M&S to halt online orders for over three weeks. While the retailer refrains from detailing the breach specifics, stating that “availability is now in a much more normal place,” the impact remains considerable.
DragonForce, also implicated in attacks on the Co-op and an attempted breach of Harrods, has claimed responsibility. M&S will address the incident’s financial fallout in its annual results announcement on Wednesday, with analysts estimating weekly sales losses exceeding £40 million since the Easter weekend.
The attack prompted M&S to proactively shut down numerous IT systems, impacting both online and in-store operations, particularly food supplies. Restoring online functionality, vital for approximately one-third of clothing and homeware sales, remains a key challenge.
On May 13th, M&S confirmed the theft of some customer data, including personal details such as names, addresses, and order histories. However, the retailer clarified that compromised card information was unusable due to incomplete payment data storage practices.
The Co-op, also targeted by DragonForce, experienced similar disruptions, including payment issues and stock shortages. The attack impacted both customer and employee data. Both retailers are working to restore full operational capacity, with the Co-op aiming for normalized stock levels by the weekend.
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