Marks & Spencer Apologises for Cyber Incident Affecting Contactless Payments and Online Orders
A cyber incident at Marks & Spencer has resulted in disruptions to contactless payments and the pick-up of online orders in stores across the UK. The retailer has apologised to customers for the inconvenience caused and assured them that their data has not been accessed.
According to a statement released by the company, the incident, which began on Monday, has caused delays to click and collect orders. M&S told The Guardian that it was "working hard to resolve" the issue and had reported the incident to the National Cyber Security Centre. The company has also hired cybersecurity experts to help investigate and manage the issue.
In a statement to the stock exchange, M&S said: "Customer trust is incredibly important to us, and if the situation changes an update will be provided as appropriate." The company reassured customers and staff that they did not need to take any action, as their data had not been accessed. M&S also stated that stores remained open and its website and app were operating as normal.
The incident at M&S is the latest in a series of cyber-attacks to hit major UK businesses. In September, Transport for London was forced to close down many online services after a cyber-attack. In 2023, Royal Mail was forced to ask customers to stop sending parcels and letters to overseas destinations after a cyber incident caused "severe service disruption" to international mail. WH Smith was also hit by an attack in which company data was accessed illegally, including the personal details of current and former employees.
As The Guardian reports, the attack on M&S follows a run of similar incidents in recent years. In 2022, the Guardian itself was hit by a ransomware attack in which the personal data of UK staff members was accessed. According to a government report in 2022, two in five UK businesses had reported cybersecurity breaches or attacks in the previous 12 months.
M&S has assured customers that it is taking actions to further protect its network and ensure that it can continue serving shoppers. The company said it had made "some minor, temporary changes to our store operations to protect customers and the business" and was "sorry for any inconvenience experienced".
Customers took to social media to express their frustration with the disruptions. A shopper at the retailer’s Plymouth store posted on X on Saturday: "could not collect my online purchase today, previous visit could not return an item as tills were down …please sort out your poor IT situation". Another customer posted on the same platform on Monday: "Nothing working Beckenham [in] London either, no pick ups or returns."
The incident highlights the growing threat of cyber-attacks to businesses and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. As M&S continues to investigate and manage the issue, customers will be hoping that the company can quickly resolve the problem and prevent similar incidents in the future.
In response to the incident, M&S said it had hired cybersecurity experts to help investigate and manage the issue and was "taking actions to further protect our network". The company will provide updates on the situation as necessary, and customers can be assured that their trust is being prioritised.
The disruptions to M&S’s services are a reminder of the importance of being prepared for cyber-attacks. As businesses increasingly rely on technology to operate, the threat of cyber-attacks continues to grow. The incident at M&S serves as a warning to businesses of all sizes to ensure that they have robust cybersecurity measures in place to protect their customers and their operations.
Source: The Guardian
