Co-op Takes Preventative Measures Amid M&S Cyber Attack Investigation

The Co-operative Group has taken precautionary action to fend off a hacking attempt by temporarily shutting down parts of its IT infrastructure. Although the impact on services was minimal, with only slight disruptions to call centers and back-office operations, the company emphasized that its stores and funeral services remained unaffected. This comes as Marks & Spencer continues to deal with a separate, ongoing cyber attack that has severely disrupted its online and in-store operations, reportedly costing millions in lost sales. While the Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into the M&S attack, it’s unclear whether the two incidents are related. Experts believe M&S was targeted by ransomware called DragonForce, which encrypts data and demands payment to unlock it. Dan Card, a cyber security expert, noted that Co-op’s decision to take systems offline is unusual and may indicate a response to a serious or unknown vulnerability, known as a ‘zero day’. Previous cyber incidents involving retailers like Morrisons and outages at Barclays and Lloyds banks earlier in 2025 underscore the growing cyber threats faced by UK businesses. Both retailers are working to minimize disruptions while authorities investigate the attacks.