M&S stop taking online and phone order after major cyber attack
Marks & Spencer (M&S) has announced that it has suspended online orders as it works to recover from a cyber attack. Customers first reported issues over the weekend, and by Tuesday, the retailer confirmed it was dealing with a “cyber incident.”
As a result of the cyber incident, they are still not taking contactless payment’s and there have been disruptions to click and collect orders as well. Soon after M&S revealed it has paused all orders through its website and apps.
A spokesperson said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), : “As part of our proactive management of a cyber incident, we have made the decision to pause taking orders via our M&S.com websites and apps. Our product range remains available to browse online. We are truly sorry for this inconvenience. Our stores are open to welcome customers. We informed customers on Tuesday that there was no need for them to take action.”
Shares in the retailer dropped by up to 4% on Friday following the announcement, before recovering slightly to end the day 2.3% lower—one of the steepest declines in the FTSE 100.
The suspension of online orders comes at a crucial time, with more than a third of M&S’s clothing and homeware sales made online. The disruption hits just ahead of a busy weekend and a forecasted heatwave, which would typically boost demand for summer clothing and outdoor essentials.
M&S said it had reported the incident to the National Cyber Security Centre which told the BBC it was “working with Marks and Spencer to support their response to a cyber incident”.
I am one of the editors here at www.systemtek.co.uk I am a UK based technology professional, with an interest in computer security and telecoms.