British retailer Marks & Spencer confirms a major data security incident

British multinational retailer Marks & Spencer said it recently suffered a data security incident that affected its daily operations, including the Click and Collect service.

 

Known for selling various products, including clothing, food, and home goods, Marks & Spencer operates more than 1,400 stores and employs 64,000 employees worldwide.

 

In a data security incident notice filed with the London Stock Exchange on April 22, M&S said it has been dealing with a cyber security incident over the past few days. Immediately after identifying the incident, the global retailer launched an investigation, with assistance from external cyber security experts, to determine the nature and scope of the same.

 

“It was necessary to make some minor, temporary changes to our store operations to protect customers and the business and we are sorry for any inconvenience experienced. Importantly, our stores remain open and our website and app are operating as normal,” reads the notice.

 

While details of the incident weren’t mentioned in the notice, M&S said it has taken necessary actions to further protect its internal network to avoid a similar situation in the future.

 

“In parallel, the Company has reported the incident to the relevant data protection supervisory authorities and the National Cyber Security Centre. Customer trust is incredibly important to us, and if the situation changes an update will be provided as appropriate,” M&S added. 

 

 

While M&S stores, its website, and its app remain operational, the cyber attack has affected its daily operations, including the Click and Collect order system because of which customers were asked to wait for an email confirming their order is ready for pick up before visiting the store.

 

At the time of publishing, no known hacker group claimed responsibility for the cyber attack on M&S. The retailer also did not share details on who was behind the attack, how much data was compromised, or whether it has received a ransom demand.