Cyber Fury Strikes Marks & Spencer!

In a shocking turn of events, Marks & Spencer (M&S) employees at several stores in Hong Kong are left scrambling, resorting to good old-fashioned pen and paper to manage customer orders. This disruption comes in the wake of a significant cyberattack reported by M&S's UK operations last week.

Technical Meltdown in Hong Kong Stores

A spokesperson for M&S confirmed that technical hiccups have rendered certain systems, including the Hong Kong mobile app, temporarily non-operational. "We are currently experiencing some technical issues; some systems are offline in a small number of stores," they communicated via email. The spokesperson also extended apologies for the inconvenience to customers, stating efforts are underway to restore normal services quickly.

The Threat Behind the Attack

The chaos stems from an alarming ransomware attack targeting M&S UK, attributed to the nefarious Scattered Spider group, reportedly leveraging malicious tools from another hacker collective, DragonForce. Their vile scheme involves stealing sensitive data and rendering it inaccessible, all in a bid to extort a hefty ransom.

Local Impact, Global Trouble

Although the Hong Kong stores are managed by franchisee Al Futtaim, the exact influence of the UK cyber fallout on local operations remains unclear. Customers at the Kennedy Town location have witnessed firsthand the extent of the disruption; staff confirmed computer systems went offline since Sunday, necessitating the manual recording of orders and loyalty card information.

The Mobile App Down!

Customers attempting to access the M&S app are met with an unsettling 'under maintenance' message, further illustrating the ongoing fallout from this cyber onslaught.

Supply Chain Struggles in the UK

The ramifications of this cyberattack extend beyond Hong Kong; UK stores are currently grappling with supply chain issues, resulting in bare shelves across numerous locations. M&S has promised customers that they aim to resolve these issues by the end of this week.