The Marks & Spencer website has gone offline, leaving customers unable to browse, as the retailer continues to grapple with the fallout from a cyber-attack last month. Online shopping has been unavailable for several weeks, and by Wednesday evening, visitors to the site were greeted with a message saying: “Sorry you can’t browse the site currently. We’re making some updates and will be back soon.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the company warned that the cyber-attack is expected to knock £300m off this year’s profits. It also said online services would remain disrupted until July, with a phased return to normal.
M&S halted orders on its website and saw empty shelves after being targeted by hackers around the Easter weekend, and customer personal data, which could have included names, email addresses, postal addresses and dates of birth, was also taken by hackers in the attack.
The retail giant said on Wednesday that “human error” had caused the attack, which is set to cost the firm around £300 million, and chief executive Stuart Machin confirmed disruption could last until July.
Speaking before the latest website problems, Robert Cottrill, technology director at digital firm ANS, said it was “vital” M&S took its time to get system recovery right, in order to ensure security and prevent future incidents.
“M&S appears to be taking the appropriate and necessary steps following the cyber attack, with a likely focus on restoring core systems and recovering critical data,” he told the PA news agency.
“The extended disruption may well be a result of attackers having targeted key infrastructure, which takes time to fully assess, secure and restore.
“Given the scale and complexity of M&S’s globally connected operations, the recovery process is understandably meticulous, with multiple interconnected systems requiring scrutiny.”
“It’s essential that M&S prioritises a secure and complete recovery over a rapid one. Rushing to bring systems back online without full assurance of their integrity could risk further compromise.
“Ensuring robust security at every layer before resumption is not just sensible – it’s vital.”
M&S has been approached for comment, but the outage may be linked to routine maintenance, reported the BBC.
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