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Theft

Marks & Spencer Confirms Hackers Stole Personal Details of 9.4 Million Customers

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has confirmed that hackers stole personal details of 9.4 million of its online customers during a cyber attack, which emerged three weeks ago. The stolen data included names, email addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, and purchase histories. However, the company assured that no usable payment or card details were stolen. The incident has paralyzed M&S's online arm, with no clothing and homewares orders being taken since April 25. The company has called in a team of security experts to address the issue, but there is no sign of resolution yet.

Key Takeaways:

  • 9.4 million M&S online customers had their personal details stolen during the cyber attack.
  • The stolen data included names, email addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, and purchase histories.
  • No usable payment or card details were stolen in the attack.
  • M&S's online arm has been paralyzed since April 25, with no clothing and homewares orders being taken.
  • The company has called in a team of security experts to address the incident.
  • The Information Commissioner's Office is investigating the attack, as well as a similar incident involving Co-op, whose shelves were left bare due to a cyber attack.
  • M&S's annual results on May 21 will be watched closely to gauge the impact of the hack on the company's profit.
  • A spokesman for M&S refused to say how many customers were impacted, but last year, the company had over 9 million active online shoppers.

Statistics:

  • 9.4 million: The number of M&S online customers whose personal details were stolen.
  • £24 million: The average weekly online sales value for M&S, according to its last annual report.
  • 1: The number of major UK fashion retailers affected by the ransomware attack, including M&S, Co-op, and Harrods.
  • 3: The number of weeks since the M&S cyber attack was first reported.

Sources:

  • "M&S hack: Nine million customers' details stolen", by Graham Hiscott, Mirror Online, (no date mentioned)
  • "M&S hack: Nine million customers' details stolen", by Graham Hiscott, Mirror Online, (no date mentioned)
  • "Co-op hack: Thousands of customers' data stolen as two more UK retailers hit", by Diane Leyden, The Telegraph, (no date mentioned)
  • "M&S suffers cyber attack with hackers demanding £1.9m in Bitcoin", by Alice Vincent, The Times, (no date mentioned)

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