Harrods, the fancy-pants department store, just announced that they got hit with a cyber attack. They were all like, “Nope, not today hackers!” and decided to limit internet access at their places to stop any more funny business. This news comes right after the Co-op had to shut down some of their IT stuff to fend off an attack, and Marks & Spencer is still dealing with their own cyber mess that’s cost them a boatload of money in lost sales.
Harrods made it clear that even though they got hit, their main store is still open for business, and they’re still selling stuff online. They didn’t really say how bad the attack was, but they did tell customers to just chill out and not panic.
The official statement from Harrods said, “Yo, we had some jerks try to get into our systems, but our tech team shut them down real quick. So now we’re keeping a close eye on things and only letting a few internet vibes in today.” All of their stores, including the fancy one in Knightsbridge, the beauty stores, and the airport spots are still welcoming customers. You can even shop online at harrods.com without any issues.
The online store seemed to be working fine on Thursday night, so no need to worry about missing out on your luxury shopping fix. Richard Horne, the big boss at the National Cyber Security Centre, warned that this attack on Harrods, along with the ones on the Co-op and M&S, should be a wake-up call for all retailers. They’re working hard to understand what happened and help other businesses stay safe from cyber baddies.
Some dude named Cody Barrow, who used to work for the NSA, said that this attack shows how vulnerable the retail industry is to cyber threats. He basically told everyone to keep an eye on their passwords, watch their money, and be on the lookout for any sneaky scams trying to take advantage of the situation.
Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer is still struggling to recover from their own cyber attack. People can’t order stuff online, and some stores are looking pretty empty. The police are on the case, trying to figure out who’s behind the mess.
The Co-op had to shut down parts of their IT systems because hackers were trying to mess things up. Now, they’re making their staff keep their cameras on during remote meetings to make sure no hackers are listening in. It’s like a virtual spy game over there.
There’s no word on whether these three attacks are connected, but Toby Lewis from a cybersecurity firm called Darktrace thinks it could be a coincidence. He also mentioned that maybe all three companies share a tech supplier that got hacked, or the M&S attack was so big that other retailers started paying more attention to their own security.
The M&S attack was most likely a ransomware situation, where hackers lock up your files and demand money to unlock them. Some experts think a group called “DragonForce” is behind the attack, but nothing’s been confirmed yet.
Liam Byrne, who heads up a fancy committee in Parliament, has asked the M&S CEO for more info on their cybersecurity defenses. He wants to know if they followed the advice from the National Cyber Security Centre or if they dropped the ball.
All in all, it looks like the retail world is under attack from cyber villains, and everyone needs to step up their game to stay safe. Stay vigilant, keep those passwords strong, and watch out for any shady stuff happening online. Stay safe out there, folks!
