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April 23, 2025

Marks & Spencer Cybersecurity Breach Sparks Outages

marks & spencer cybersecurity breach sparks outages
Photo source: Flickr

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has confirmed it is contending with a cybersecurity breach that disrupted key customer services, including contactless payments and order collections, leading to widespread frustration among shoppers.

The British retail giant acknowledged the incident on April 22, revealing it had been addressing the issue for several days with the assistance of external cybersecurity specialists. Chief Executive Stuart Machin informed customers via a notice that temporary operational adjustments were necessary to safeguard both clients and the company, though physical stores remained open and digital platforms continued to function as usual.

“As soon as we became aware of the incident, it was necessary to make some minor, temporary changes to our store operations to protect customers and the business and we are sorry for any inconvenience experienced. Importantly, our stores remain open and our website and app are operating as normal,” M&S stated in a filing with the London Stock Exchange.

Customers reported failures in payment terminals and delays retrieving Click & Collect orders, with some unable to complete transactions or redeem gift cards over the weekend. Social media platforms became a hub for complaints, with shoppers detailing difficulties at multiple locations. While M&S restored contactless payments promptly, disruptions to order pickups persisted, prompting the retailer to advise affected customers to await confirmation emails before visiting stores.

The company has enlisted third-party forensic experts to investigate the breach and notified regulatory authorities, including the Information Commissioner’s Office and the National Cyber Security Centre. M&S declined to specify the attack’s origin or confirm whether customer data was compromised, leaving the nature of the incident unclear. The timing of the disruption, coinciding with the Easter holiday period, amplified its impact, with industry analysts highlighting the growing vulnerability of retailers to cyber threats.

While ransomware involvement remains unconfirmed, the scale of service outages aligns with patterns observed in recent attacks targeting retailers, which are increasingly seen as lucrative targets due to their extensive customer data and high public visibility.

M&S, which operates over 1,400 stores globally and serves approximately 32 million customers annually, reiterated its commitment to transparency, pledging further updates if the situation evolves. The breach shows escalating cyber risks facing retailers adopting omnichannel models, following similar disruptions in the sector, including recent supply chain attacks affecting UK supermarkets.