The UK-based **Co-op**, a major retail chain, fell victim to a **ransomware attack** in April, orchestrated by the **Scattered Spider** group. The incident disrupted critical operations, particularly targeting **payment systems**, causing widespread chaos in transactions and customer service. While the exact extent of data compromise remains undisclosed, the attack likely exposed **customer data**—a high-value asset on black markets—heightening risks of fraud and reputational damage. The public nature of the breach, amplified by Scattered Spider’s deliberate publicity, intensified pressure on Co-op to respond swiftly, possibly coercing a ransom payment. The attack underscored the retail sector’s vulnerability, where operational disruptions and data theft create compounded financial and trust-related losses. Given Co-op’s prominence, the incident also attracted media scrutiny, further exacerbating reputational harm. The broader trend of **weaponised PDFs** and AI-driven phishing suggests attackers exploited advanced tactics, potentially leveraging **zero-day flaws** to bypass defenses. The attack aligns with a pattern of ransomware groups prioritizing high-profile targets to maximize impact and payouts, even amid a reported decline in overall ransomware volumes.
Source: https://techhq.com/news/ransomware-attacks-dropped-but-retail-and-industrial-targets-still-hit-hard/
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/the-co-op-group
"id": "the2462024091125",
"linkid": "the-co-op-group",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "4/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Consumer Discretionary',
'location': 'United Kingdom',
'name': 'Co-op (UK)',
'size': 'large',
'type': 'retail'},
{'industry': 'Consumer Discretionary',
'location': 'United Kingdom',
'name': 'Marks & Spencer (M&S)',
'size': 'large',
'type': 'retail'},
{'industry': 'Consumer Discretionary',
'location': 'United Kingdom',
'name': 'Harrods',
'size': 'large',
'type': 'retail'},
{'industry': 'Industrials',
'location': ['North America', 'Europe', 'Asia'],
'name': 'Unnamed Industrial Firms',
'type': ['manufacturing', 'energy', 'logistics']}],
'attack_vector': ['weaponized PDFs',
'AI-generated phishing emails',
'supply chain vulnerabilities',
'unpatched zero-day flaws'],
'customer_advisories': ['Victims (e.g., Co-op, M&S) notified customers of '
'potential PII exposure.',
'Recommendations to monitor financial accounts for '
'fraud.'],
'data_breach': {'data_encryption': ['by ransomware groups (e.g., Akira, '
'Qilin)'],
'data_exfiltration': ['likely for black market sales'],
'file_types_exposed': ['PDFs',
'databases',
'financial records'],
'personally_identifiable_information': ['names',
'addresses',
'payment details'],
'sensitivity_of_data': 'high',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['PII',
'payment card data',
'corporate emails',
'supply chain data']},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-05',
'description': 'Ransomware attacks dropped by 31% in April 2024, with 416 '
'reported cases, marking the second consecutive month of '
'decline. Despite the reduction, high-value targets in retail '
'and industrial sectors—particularly in North America and '
'Europe—remained heavily impacted. Akira emerged as the most '
'active ransomware group (65 attacks), followed by Qilin (49) '
'and Play (42). Scattered Spider targeted UK retailers like '
'Co-op, M&S, and Harrods, leveraging public disclosure tactics '
'to pressure victims. Attackers increasingly used weaponized '
'PDFs and AI-driven phishing to exploit zero-day '
'vulnerabilities. Geopolitical tensions and economic '
'instability were cited as contributing factors to the '
'evolving threat landscape.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': ['severe for high-profile retailers '
'(e.g., Co-op, M&S, Harrods)',
'long-term erosion of consumer trust'],
'customer_complaints': ['increased due to payment system outages',
'data breach notifications'],
'data_compromised': ['customer payment data',
'personally identifiable information (PII)',
'corporate intellectual property'],
'identity_theft_risk': ['high due to PII exposure'],
'operational_impact': ['disruption of retail operations',
'supply chain delays',
'temporary closure of stores',
'loss of customer trust'],
'payment_information_risk': ['credit/debit card details',
'transaction histories'],
'systems_affected': ['payment processing systems',
'retail POS terminals',
'industrial control systems (ICS)',
'supply chain management platforms']},
'initial_access_broker': {'backdoors_established': ['likely in payment and '
'supply chain systems'],
'data_sold_on_dark_web': ['PII and payment data '
'from retail breaches'],
'entry_point': ['weaponized PDFs',
'phishing emails',
'unpatched software',
'stolen credentials'],
'high_value_targets': ['retail POS systems',
'industrial control networks',
'customer databases']},
'investigation_status': 'ongoing (many incidents under-reported)',
'lessons_learned': ['High-profile attacks in retail demonstrate the need for '
'robust payment system segmentation.',
'Zero-day exploits in PDF readers highlight the '
'importance of patch management and behavioral '
'monitoring.',
'Public disclosure by threat actors (e.g., Scattered '
'Spider) increases pressure on victims to pay ransoms.',
'Geopolitical and economic instability correlates with '
'increased cyberattack frequency and sophistication.',
'AI-driven phishing and weaponized documents are evolving '
'to bypass traditional security controls.'],
'motivation': ['financial gain',
'data exfiltration for black market sales',
'brand reputation damage',
'geopolitical leverage',
'cyber espionage'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Mandatory **MFA for all '
'critical systems**.',
'**Isolation of payment '
'environments** from '
'general IT networks.',
'**Continuous vulnerability '
'scanning** for zero-day '
'exploits.',
'**Dark web monitoring** '
'for stolen credentials and '
'data leaks.',
'**Red team exercises** to '
'test defenses against '
'ransomware tactics.'],
'root_causes': ['Lack of segmentation between '
'payment and corporate systems.',
'Delayed patching of zero-day '
'vulnerabilities in PDF software.',
'Insufficient monitoring for '
'AI-driven phishing campaigns.',
'Over-reliance on perimeter '
'security without behavioral '
'detection.']},
'ransomware': {'data_encryption': ['double extortion (encryption + '
'exfiltration)'],
'data_exfiltration': ['prior to encryption for leverage'],
'ransomware_strain': ['Akira', 'Qilin', 'Play', 'Babuk2']},
'recommendations': ['Implement **network segmentation** for payment and '
'industrial control systems to limit lateral movement.',
'Deploy **behavioral-based detection** (e.g., adaptive '
'WAFs) to identify weaponized PDFs and zero-day exploits.',
'Enhance **employee training** on AI-generated phishing '
'and social engineering tactics.',
'Establish **supply chain cybersecurity standards** to '
'mitigate third-party risks.',
'Adopt **proactive threat hunting** to detect ransomware '
'groups like Akira and Scattered Spider early.',
'Develop **incident response playbooks** tailored to '
'ransomware and data exfiltration scenarios.',
'Strengthen **customer communication plans** to maintain '
'trust during breaches.'],
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2024-05',
'source': 'NCC Group Threat Intelligence Report'},
{'date_accessed': '2024-05',
'source': 'Cybersecurity Ventures - Ransomware Trends 2024'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'regulations_violated': ['GDPR (for UK/EU victims)',
'PCI DSS (payment card '
'breaches)',
'sector-specific '
'industrial regulations'],
'regulatory_notifications': ['likely required for '
'GDPR compliance']},
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['limited public disclosure by victims',
'press statements by cybersecurity '
'experts',
'advisories to supply chain partners'],
'containment_measures': ['isolation of infected systems',
'disabling compromised accounts',
'blocking malicious IPs'],
'enhanced_monitoring': ['for weaponized PDFs',
'AI-generated phishing attempts'],
'network_segmentation': ['recommended for payment systems'],
'recovery_measures': ['restoring backups',
'rebuilding payment systems',
'customer notification campaigns'],
'remediation_measures': ['patching zero-day vulnerabilities',
'enhancing endpoint detection',
'updating PDF reader software'],
'third_party_assistance': ['cybersecurity firms (e.g., NCC '
'Group)',
'threat intelligence providers']},
'stakeholder_advisories': ['Retailers advised to audit payment system '
'security.',
'Industrial firms urged to isolate ICS from '
'corporate networks.',
'Regulators (e.g., ICO, CISA) monitoring '
'compliance with breach notifications.'],
'threat_actor': ['Akira', 'Scattered Spider', 'Qilin', 'Play', 'Babuk2'],
'title': 'Global Ransomware Attack Trends in April 2024: Akira and Scattered '
'Spider Dominate, Retail and Industrial Sectors Targeted',
'type': ['ransomware',
'phishing',
'social engineering',
'zero-day exploitation'],
'vulnerability_exploited': ['zero-day vulnerabilities in PDF readers',
'weak endpoint security',
'lack of multi-factor authentication (MFA)',
'poor segmentation of payment systems']}