Marks & Spencer Hit by Sophisticated Cyber Attack, Customer Data Exposed

Marks & Spencer has revealed that it has been hit by a sophisticated cyber attack, resulting in the exposure of customer personal data. The attack is believed to have occurred due to the "sophisticated nature" of the incident, according to the company's chief executive, Stuart Machin. However, Machin stressed that payment and card details, as well as account passwords, are not affected.

The retailer has not disclosed the number of customers affected by the incident, but it has been unable to take orders through its website or app since 25 April. The company has also experienced issues with contactless payments, click and collect orders, and availability in stores. A hacking group known as Scattered Spider has been linked to the attack, and the Metropolitan Police are investigating.

Marks & Spencer is working with experts from the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre to understand the incident and support the company. In a statement, Machin advised customers that there is "no need for them to take any action," but they will be prompted to reset their password the next time they visit or log on to their account.

Key Takeaways:

Marks & Spencer has been hit by a sophisticated cyber attack resulting in the exposure of customer personal data.
The attack is believed to have occurred due to the "sophisticated nature" of the incident, according to the company's chief executive, Stuart Machin.
Payment and card details, as well as account passwords, are not affected by the attack.
The retailer has not disclosed the number of customers affected by the incident.
Marks & Spencer has been unable to take orders through its website or app since 25 April.
The company has experienced issues with contactless payments, click and collect orders, and availability in stores.
A hacking group known as Scattered Spider has been linked to the attack.
The Metropolitan Police are investigating the incident in conjunction with the retailer and cybersecurity experts.

Statistics:

The exact number of customers affected by the incident is not disclosed.
Marks & Spencer has not provided a timeline for when its website and app will be back online.
The retailer has experienced issues with:

+ Contactless payments

+ Click and collect orders

+ Availability in stores

The Metropolitan Police are investigating the incident.

Sources:

[1] Marks & Spencer has revealed that customer personal data has been taken by hackers after the retail giant was hit by a damaging cyber attack. [The Independent, 2023]
[2] Marks & Spencer is working with experts from both the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre to understand the incident and support the company. [The Independent, 2023]
[3] The Metropolitan Police confirmed it was called in relation to the attack, with detectives from the force's cyber crime unit launching an investigation which remains ongoing. [The Independent, 2023]
[4] Over 19 billion passwords hacked in security crisis -- how to find if yours is exposed. [The Independent, 2023]