British conglomerate suffers multimillion-pound loss due to massive cyber assault
Article:
Yikes, it seems like a major retailer's online operations have gone haywire as reported by The Guardian. The chaos kicked off over Easter, with issues in the "Click and Collect" section and contactless payments on their website. Despite resolving those hiccups, the retailer has been MIA for more than a week when it comes to online order acceptance.
Staff are knee-deep in restocking store shelves, but they're forced to double-check inventories manually. Restoring the site back to full-strength could take weeks, and it might take even longer to bring all systems back online. This ain't great for short-term profits and customer service.
The National Crime Agency and London police are currently investigating a suspected cyberattack linked to the notorious hacker group Scattered Spider.
While The Guardian didn't have specific details about this recent incident, it's worth mentioning a couple of similar events from the past:
- A ransomware attack hit Japanese publisher Kadokawa and its video-sharing platform Niconico in 2024. No specific details on the impact were available from The Guardian, but this shows the constant risks companies face from cyberattacks[2].
- In 2025, the Genea Fertility Clinic in Australia got hit by a ransomware attack from the Termite group, which led to sensitive data, such as personal info and medical histories, being exfiltrated. A court order blocked the dissemination of this data[2], but details on financial or customer service impacts were scant in the search results.
If you're curious about a specific company, it's best to either check the latest news from The Guardian or contact them directly for an official statement.
- I, as a concerned customer, have been waiting for weeks for the retailer to resolve their online issues, which were initially caused by a suspected cyberattack.
- The cybersecurity technology used by the retailer must be undergoing a rigorous investigation by the National Crime Agency and London police, as they are investigating a cyberattack linked to the notorious hacker group Scattered Spider.
- Despite the ongoing cyberattack investigation, the retailer's physical stores are suffering from improper inventories due to manual double-checking, a clear indication of the significant disruption caused by the cyberattack.
- In the wake of this incident, it is crucial for the retailer to invest in advanced cybersecurity technology to prevent future cyberattacks and ensure their online operations are secure and reliable.
