M&S restarts online orders after cyber attack

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has cautiously resumed online orders after a major cyber attack earlier this year brought its digital operations to a standstill.

The UK retailer is now offering a limited selection of fashion items for home delivery across England, Scotland, and Wales, with plans to expand to beauty and homeware products, and to resume Northern Ireland delivery and click-and-collect services in the coming weeks.

The cyberattack, which occurred over the Easter weekend, initially disrupted in-store contactless payments and led to a suspension of all online orders.

It has since been confirmed that customer data (including phone numbers, home addresses, and birthdates) was stolen, although payment details and passwords were not compromised.

The hackers, reportedly linked to the DragonForce ransomware group, went as far as sending an abusive ransom demand directly to CEO Stuart Machin using a hijacked employee email address.

Shoppers report that while some top-selling items are back online, inventory remains sparse.

M&S estimates the financial impact of the breach could reach £300 million, oughly a third of its annual profit.