In Q2 2025, M&S suffered a **massive ransomware breach** that led to **empty shelves** across stores, severely disrupting operations during a critical sales period. The attack compromised internal systems, halting supply chain logistics and point-of-sale transactions. While the article does not specify whether customer or employee data was exfiltrated, the operational outage alone threatened the company’s financial performance, particularly if it had coincided with peak retail seasons like Black Friday or Christmas. The incident underscored vulnerabilities in M&S’s cyber defenses, exposing gaps in continuous assurance and resilience. Experts warned that such disruptions—if timed during high-stakes profit windows—could push losses into catastrophic territory, jeopardizing annual targets and brand reputation. The breach aligns with broader trends where ransomware groups exploit organizational distractions (e.g., holidays) to maximize damage.
Source: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/fraud-fears-no-breach-spike/
Marks and Spencer cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/marks-and-spencer
"id": "MAR2433524112725",
"linkid": "marks-and-spencer",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "6/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Retail',
'location': 'UK',
'name': 'Marks & Spencer (M&S)',
'size': 'Large',
'type': 'Retailer'},
{'industry': 'Retail',
'location': 'UK',
'name': 'Co-Op Group',
'size': 'Large',
'type': 'Retailer'},
{'industry': 'Retail/Manufacturing',
'location': 'UK',
'name': 'Unspecified UK Retailers (1,381 incidents)',
'type': 'Retail/Manufacturing'},
{'location': 'UK',
'name': 'UK Consumers (Festive Season Fraud Victims)',
'type': 'Individuals'}],
'attack_vector': ['Brute Force',
'Hardware/Software Misconfiguration',
'Malware',
'Phishing',
'Ransomware',
'Fake E-commerce Sites (Typosquatting)',
'AI-Generated Scams',
'Fake Package Tracking Messages'],
'customer_advisories': 'NCSC and experts advise verifying delivery messages '
'and avoiding suspicious e-commerce sites.',
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': True,
'personally_identifiable_information': True,
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Customer Databases',
'Personally Identifiable '
'Information (PII)',
'Payment Information (fraud '
'targets)']},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2025-11-01',
'description': 'Huntsman Security analyzed 1,381 data security incidents '
"reported to the UK's ICO by the retail and manufacturing "
'sector between Q3 2024 and Q2 2025, finding minor seasonal '
'peaks with no significant outliers. Key threats included '
'brute force attacks, misconfigurations, malware, phishing, '
'and ransomware. While some experts downplayed seasonal '
'spikes, others warned of heightened ransomware risks during '
'holidays (e.g., Thanksgiving, Christmas) and a surge in fake '
'e-commerce sites targeting consumers. Notable incidents '
'included ransomware breaches at M&S and the Co-Op Group in Q2 '
'2025, causing operational disruptions like empty shelves. '
'Fraud losses during the 2024 festive season reached £11.8m, '
'with AI-enabled scams (e.g., typosquatted domains, fake trust '
'badges) and phishing campaigns impersonating brands like '
'Amazon, Samsung, and Ray-Ban.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'High (trust erosion from fraud/scams)',
'data_compromised': True,
'downtime': True,
'financial_loss': '£11.8m (online shopping fraud, Nov 2024–Jan '
'2025)',
'identity_theft_risk': 'High (PII exposure via fake '
'sites/phishing)',
'operational_impact': 'Empty shelves (M&S, Co-Op Group); potential '
'catastrophic profit loss during peak sales',
'payment_information_risk': 'High (fraud targeting payment data)',
'systems_affected': True},
'initial_access_broker': {'high_value_targets': 'Customer databases (per '
'Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters '
'warning)'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing (ICO reports; seasonal threats monitored)',
'lessons_learned': ['Seasonal peaks in incidents are minor; opportunistic '
'attacks occur year-round.',
'Continuous assurance is critical to prevent defense '
'drift and detect attacks early.',
'Balancing cyber resilience with profit-driven operations '
'(e.g., Black Friday) is essential to avoid catastrophic '
'disruptions.',
'Consumer-targeted fraud (e.g., fake sites, phishing) '
'spikes during holidays, requiring heightened vigilance.'],
'motivation': ['Financial Gain (ransomware, fraud)',
'Data Theft (customer databases)',
'Opportunistic Exploitation (seasonal distractions)'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Implement continuous '
'assurance frameworks.',
'Enhance monitoring during '
'holidays/weekends '
'(high-risk periods for '
'ransomware).',
'Strengthen consumer '
'education on fraud '
'prevention.'],
'root_causes': ['Opportunistic exploitation of '
'vulnerabilities '
'(misconfigurations, brute force).',
'Distraction during peak sales '
'periods diverting attention from '
'cybersecurity.',
'Lack of continuous monitoring '
'leading to undetected drift in '
'defenses.']},
'ransomware': {'data_encryption': True, 'data_exfiltration': True},
'recommendations': ['Adopt continuous assurance to monitor defense posture '
'and prevent vulnerabilities.',
'Prioritize detection/response for high-impact threats '
'(ransomware, phishing, misconfigurations).',
'Double-check resilience during peak sales periods (e.g., '
'Black Friday, Christmas).',
'Educate consumers on recognizing fake e-commerce sites '
'and phishing scams (e.g., typosquatting, fake trust '
'badges).',
'Verify delivery notifications directly with carriers to '
'avoid falling for fake tracking messages.'],
'references': [{'source': 'Huntsman Security Analysis (ICO Data Q3 2024–Q2 '
'2025)'},
{'source': 'Semperis Report on Ransomware Timing'},
{'date_accessed': '2025-11-01',
'source': 'ReliaQuest (Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters Telegram '
'Post)'},
{'source': 'UK NCSC (Festive Fraud Trends)'},
{'source': 'Action Fraud Data (£11.8m Fraud Loss)'},
{'source': 'CloudSEK (Fake E-commerce Sites Analysis)'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'regulations_violated': 'Potential GDPR (UK) '
'violations for breaches '
'reported to ICO',
'regulatory_notifications': '1,381 incidents '
'reported to UK ICO'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Public advisories (e.g., NCSC '
'warnings on fraud trends)',
'enhanced_monitoring': 'Recommended (continuous assurance for '
'drift detection)',
'law_enforcement_notified': True},
'stakeholder_advisories': 'Retailers urged to verify resilience; consumers '
'warned about fraud risks.',
'threat_actor': ['Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters (alleged upcoming attacks under '
'#ShinyHuntazz)',
'Unspecified ransomware groups (e.g., M&S and Co-Op Group '
'breaches)',
'Fraudsters operating fake e-commerce sites'],
'title': 'Analysis of Cybersecurity Incidents in UK Retail Sector (Q3 2024–Q2 '
'2025) and Holiday Season Threats',
'type': ['Data Breach',
'Ransomware',
'Phishing',
'Fraud',
'Malware',
'Brute Force Attack',
'Misconfiguration']}