Marks & Spencer Faces Prolonged Website Outage Following Major Cyber-Attack

Marks & Spencer (M&S), one of the UK’s leading retailers, is currently experiencing a complete outage of its website, preventing customers from browsing or placing online orders. This disruption follows a sophisticated cyber-attack that occurred over the Easter weekend. The attack initially impacted M&S’s click-and-collect and contactless payment services, but the effects have since escalated, leading to a prolonged shutdown of online operations. M&S has confirmed that some personal customer data, such as phone numbers, home addresses, and dates of birth, may have been stolen, though no usable payment information or passwords were compromised. The company has apologized for the inconvenience and stated that online services will remain disrupted until July, with a gradual restoration planned. Financially, M&S estimates the cyber-attack will reduce its annual profits by approximately £300 million, a loss that exceeds analysts’ expectations and represents about a third of its yearly profit. The police are investigating the incident, focusing on a notorious group of English-speaking hackers known as Scattered Spider, who are believed to have targeted other major retailers as well. M&S’s experience highlights the growing risks of cyber-attacks on large retailers and the significant operational and financial consequences they can cause.