Marks & Spencer’s website is back online, allowing users to browse after a temporary shutdown.
Gatekeepers News reports that the website crash occurred on Wednesday evening, with a message displayed saying, “Sorry you can’t browse the site currently. We’re making some updates and will be back soon.”
However, as of 07:00 on Thursday morning, the company confirmed the website was open for browsing again after overnight updates.
The retailer has been dealing with the aftermath of a cyber attack that occurred over the Easter weekend, initially affecting click-and-collect and contactless payments. M&S suspended all online orders a few days later.
According to CEO Stuart Machin, “Over the last few weeks, we have been managing a highly sophisticated and targeted cyber-attack, which has led to a limited period of disruption.”
The cyber attack is expected to hit M&S’s profits by around £300 million this year, exceeding analysts’ expectations. Although some of this will be covered by insurance, the company warns that online services will continue to be disrupted until July, with a gradual return to normal.
Some personal customer data was stolen during the attack, including: Potential Data Stolen, Telephone Numbers, Home Addresses, Dates of Birth and Online Order Histories.
However, M&S assures customers that the data theft did not include usable payment or card details or account passwords.
The police are investigating the cyber attack, focusing on a notorious group of English-speaking hackers known as Scattered Spider. This group is believed to be behind attacks on the Co-op and Harrods, but M&S suffered the biggest impact.
