Marks & Spencer's UK website became unavailable on Wednesday evening, adding to disruptions started last month when a significant cyber-attack was launched. The outage occurred just hours after the retailer warned that the hack is likely to cost the company an estimated £300 million in lost profits this year, the BBC reported.
Users of the M&S site were greeted by an unambiguous message: *"Sorry you can't browse the site at the moment. We're making some changes and will be back soon."* The BBC is told the ongoing shutdown could be down to planned maintenance, but comes after weeks of site outages that have left customers unable to place online orders.
International M&S websites were also found to be offline on Thursday, adding to the crisis. The firm, which has operations overseas through franchisee and joint venture deals—such as high-profile association with Reliance Industries in India—has yet to issue a statement on the international extent of the breakdown.
Customer data compromised
The Easter weekend cyber-attack first targeted M&S’s click-and-collect and contactless payment technology. The store has now established that some customers' personal details were pilfered. They consist of phone numbers, addresses, dates of birth and buying history.
Critically, the firm maintains that no usable payment information or passwords were compromised during the breach. Nonetheless, the attack has increased anxiety regarding data privacy and questioned the strength of security systems among top UK retailers.
Biggest impact among retail victims
Although high-profile British retailers like Harrods and the Co-op have also been attacked in recent weeks, M&S is said to have been hit the worst. They are concentrating on a cyber-crime gang by the name of *Scattered Spider*, an English-speaking hacking community that is thought to be responsible for several attacks on UK retailers.
M&S chairman Stuart Machin said the attack was a "highly sophisticated and targeted cyber-attack," admitting that it had resulted in "a limited period of disruption" but a significant dent in profits.
The £300 million estimated hit—about a third of M&S's yearly profit—has left analysts reeling. The financial cost will only be partly covered by insurance claims, the group added.
Slow comeback in store
M&S states it is not anticipating its online services to return to normal until July, with a staged restoration in subsequent weeks. The holdup in renewing complete service is further hindering attempts to recapture online sales momentum, particularly during the high-pressure early summer shopping period.
The company, which has made a digital revival over the past few years and recorded robust online performance prior to the attack, now suffers severe reputational and financial harm.
For the time being, loyal consumers and industry experts are observing closely, expecting the legendary British retailer to recover from what has been one of the most devastating cyber-attacks in the history of UK retail.
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