M&S confirms personal customer information taken in cyber attack
Marks and Spencer have revealed that personal customer information has been taken during the cyber attack.
CEO of the retailer, Stuart Machin issued a statement saying they had written to customers to inform them that information had been taken and thanked them for their ongoing support.
The retailer revealed that personal data taken could include details including names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, online order history, household information and ‘masked’ payment card details used for online purchases.
Additionally, anyone who has or previously had an M&S credit card or Sparks Pay, their customer reference numbers could also be included.
They added there is no indication that the information has been shared, and Machin said that no useable card or payment details or account passwords were taken, and customers do not need to take any action.
The retailer has endured a raft of difficulties since the cyber incident at Easter, with many services struggling to return to normal. Online orders are still suspended, customers are facing empty shelves in stores and appeals have been made for consumers to show their support for the High Street giant by visiting stores.
“To give customers extra peace of mind, they will be prompted to reset their password the next time they visit or long onto their M&S account and we have share information on how to stay safe online,” said the statement.
“Everyone at M&S is working around the clock to get things back to normal for our customers as quickly as possible, and we are very sorry for any inconvenience they have experienced. Our stores remain open as they have throughout.”
M&S has not revealed how many customers have been affected or have had their data stolen, but it said it has reported the case to the relevant authorities and is working with cyber security experts.
It is understood that the hackers, believed to be hacking group Scattered Spider, could still sell or share the data. Analysts have estimated that the incident and ongoing disruption to business could cost M&S millions of pounds each week.
