- Co-op have closed systems after a cyber event
- Stores and funeral houses are acting as usual
- This follows a destructive alleged ransomware -attack on M&S
British Supermarket Co-Op has had to take down parts of its IT systems after discovering an attempt at cyberattack, The Guardian reports. It seems that hackers are trying to access systems and the chain takes “proactive measures” to defend against the attack, which had a “small influence” on the company’s back office and call center.
This comes only a few days after another British supermarket, Marks and Spencers suffered an outbreak that is allegedly linked to scattered spider -Ransomware – to take online orders, contactless payments and click and collect systems.
In a letter sent to the staff, the dealer confirms that it has “taken steps to keep systems secure” so that it had “prior to draw access to some systems at the moment”. It is not yet known if there is any connection between this incident and M&S Ransomware attack.
Unauthorized access
Retailers tend to work with a large number of third parties for logistics, supplies and software – making them an attractive target for criminals who can use smaller suppliers as an access point. The extent of this incident is not yet clear, nor the initial attack vector.
A Co-Op spokesman told Techradar Pro that all stores (including fast trade operations) and funeral houses are trading as usual.
“We work hard to reduce any disruption of our services and would like to thank our colleagues, members, partners and suppliers for their understanding during this period. We are not asking our members or customers to do anything else at this time. We will continue to give updates as needed.”
Metropolitan Police has confirmed that it is investigating M&’s cyberattack, and the chaos in the incident has allegedly cost the regular millions of pounds in downtime and lost sales.
