Finance

M&S Website Crisis: Cyber Attack Leaves Customers in the Dark!

2025-05-21

Author: Ting

The Marks & Spencer website is currently offline, leaving users frustrated and unable to shop online as the retailer grapples with the consequences of a devastating cyber attack last month.

For weeks now, customers have faced difficulties placing online orders. As of Wednesday evening, a message on the site warned: "Sorry you can't browse the site currently. We're making some updates and will be back soon." What’s going on behind the scenes?

The BBC suggests that routine maintenance might be the cause of this outage, but the real underlying issue is serious. Earlier in the day, M&S revealed that this cyber attack could cost them an alarming £300 million this year, significantly impacting their profits.

The chaos isn’t confined to the UK; numerous international M&S websites appeared to be down on Thursday as well. Many overseas outlets operate through franchise agreements, with M&S collaborating with ventures like Reliant Industries in India.

In the aftermath of the attack, M&S has disclosed that some personal customer data was compromised. This includes sensitive information such as phone numbers, home addresses, and birth dates. Fortunately, the retailer assured customers that financial details like card info and passwords remain secure, although previous online order histories may be at risk.

The cyber attack struck over the Easter weekend, initially causing chaos for click-and-collect services and contactless payments. Just days later, M&S issued an apology on their website, informing customers that online ordering was disrupted.

This £300 million loss far exceeds analysts' expectations, representing nearly a third of M&S's anticipated profits and posing a challenge for any insurance recoveries.

M&S CEO Stuart Machin stated, "Over the last few weeks, we have been managing a highly sophisticated and targeted cyber-attack, leading to a prolonged disruption."

Law enforcement is now investigating this incident, focusing on a notorious hacker group known as Scattered Spider. This group has a track record of attacks on other retail giants like the Co-op and Harrods, but M&S bears the brunt of the latest cyber onslaught.