The luxury department store Harrods says it is the latest retailer to have been targeted by a cyber-attack.
The firm said it had “restricted internet access at our sites” following an attempt to gain access to its systems.
It comes the day after the Co-op shut down parts of its IT systems to fend off a hack, while Marks & Spencer continues to deal with a cyber-attack that has cost it millions of pounds in lost sales.
Impact
Harrods observed its flagship store remained open, & it continues to operate its online sales.
Harrods did not clarify what the scale of the impact on its network was, but outlined that customers were being asked to “not do anything differently at this point”.
A statement from Harrods read: “We recently experienced attempts to gain unauthorised access to some of our systems.
“Our seasoned IT security team immediately took proactive steps to keep systems safe & as a result we have restricted internet access at our sites today.
“Currently all sites including our Knightsbridge store, H beauty stores & airport stores remain open to welcome customers. Customers can also continue to shop via harrods.com.”
Harrods’ online store appeared to be operating normally on Thurs. evening.
NCSC
Richard Horne, Chief Executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the UK Govt. body responsible for supporting organisations facing cyber threats, stated the spate of attacks should serve as a “wake-up call” for Harrods, the Co-op & M&S.
He said the NCSC was working closely with the companies that had reported incidents, “to fully understand the nature of these attacks & to provide expert advice to the wider sector based on the threat picture”.
Cody Barrow, former cyber chief at America’s National Security Agency, now Chief Executive of cybersecurity firm EclecticIQ, stated the incident exposed the sector’s “mounting vulnerability to cyber threats”.
Targets
He said retailers should assume that they are targets for cyber attackers, due to the volume of customer data & the high impact that disruption can cause.
“For consumers, vigilance is crucial: update passwords, monitor financial activity, and watch for scams exploiting recent breaches,” he added.
Marks & Spencer has seen its operations severely hampered by a cyber-attack; the firm disclosed last week.
Customers are still unable to place online orders and shelves have been left empty in some stores.
The police are investigating.
Co-op
Meanwhile, the Co-op said last Wed. it had shut down parts of its IT systems in response to hackers attempting to gain access.
On Thursday, it emerged staff at the Co-op were being ordered to keep their cameras on during remote work meetings & verify all attendees.
Experts say that indicates the company suspects hackers may be lurking in calls.
It is not known if the 3 incidents are connected.
Coincidence?
Toby Lewis, Head of Threat Analysis at cybersecurity firm Darktrace, outlined it was possible that the 3 incidents impacting M&S, the Co-op & Harrods were a coincidence.
But he suggested two other possibilities: that all 3 retailers share a common supplier or technology that has been compromised & used as an entry point for hackers.
Or the scale of the attack on M&S had prompted security teams at other retailers to look more closely at their safety logs & act on activity they would not have previously judged a risk.
Threats
“It’s a lesson again in the growing difficulty large organisations have in securing against threats in their supply chain, particularly as those threats grow in volume & sophistication,” he said.
It is believed the disruption at M&S was a ransomware attack.
This is a type of malicious software used to scramble important data or files after gaining access to computer systems, essentially locking them away unless a ransom is paid.
Guidance
Security experts told the BBC on Tues. a ransomware group which goes by the name “DragonForce” was behind the attack.
The Co-op has not given any details of the nature of cyber-attack made against it.
The chair of Parliament’s Business & Trade Committee, Liam Byrne, has written to Marks & Spencer’s chief executive, Stuart Machin, requesting further information about M&S’s cybersecurity defences, & whether it had adhered to the guidance given by the NCSC.
