- M&S LED a Cyberattack that affected clicks and collect systems
- Stores were largely unaffected except some contactless payment systems disabled
- It is not yet clear whether any customer data is affected
Marks and Spencer (M&S) has suffered a “cyber event” that has affected the stores for the past few days, resulting in “small changes” to save operations to protect customers “and the company.”
The dealer confirmed clicks and collection services were affected by technical problems as a result and some stores were unable to process contactless payments. It is not yet clear whether this incident has resulted in any violation of customer or employee data, or whether this was a ransomware attack, but customers need to make sure to change their passwords and be looking for suspicious activity just in case.
The retail giant has apologized for the inconvenience and assures that it works with “the best experts” to control the incident – here’s what we know so far.
Business as usual
In a note to the customers, M&S CEO Stuart Machin apologized, confirming that the stores remain open and the retailer’s website and app work as usual.
“There is no need for you to take anything at this point, and if the situation changes, we will tell you. There may be some limited delays to your click and collection order that we work hard to solve,” Machin writes.
The retail industry is a frequent target for cyberattacks that often keep personally identifiable information such as names, e -mail addresses and shipping addresses for customers. Criminals who can take control of systems can cost retail companies millions in downtime – to get serious leverage in ransomware events.
M&S has confirmed to Techradar Pro All contactless payments are now back online in all stores and that it has seen “positive comments from customers who thank us for our transparency and for store colleague support.”
By 2024, a supply chain attack hit some of Britain’s largest grocery stores, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, as well as Coffee Shop Starbucks, where they took some systems offline in a ransomware attack that saw over 680 GB of data stolen.
For those affected
Brands and Spencer have not confirmed the nature of this incident, and so far no cybercrime group has taken responsibility for the incident, nor has any customer data been sent online.
That said, customers would be smart to take some steps in the next few days just to be on the same page and come ahead of any consequences if their information has been affected.
In an incident like this, where it is not clear what, if any, data has been affected – the first thing to do is change your password and all other sites with the same credentials. We have put together a guide on how to create a secure password to make sure you are as secure as possible.
The next and probably most important step is to keep vigilant. With your name and e -mail address, a criminal can send sophisticated social engineering attacks, for the purpose of tricking you into handing more information or unintentionally downloading malware.
Make sure to double -check any unexpected communication and e -mail addresses -especially cross -announcement of these against the legitimate E email addresses (these can be found on Google).
In particular, be wary of any e -mail that asks you to enter all information, click a link, or scan a QR code. Phishing -attacks that use QR codes become more common and are more dangerous than ever before, so make sure everything you scan is verified in advance.
If a criminal e -email you will likely be signs. The first is the E -Mail address from which the communication comes from -if it is G00GLE or M1CROSOFT instead of their legitimate addresses, just delete the E email. If you get an unexpected text, e email or phone call from anyone who claims to be a “friend” from a number or address that you do not recognize, especially one who asks you to log in, send money, buy a gift card, be very suspicious.
