SOURCES claim M&S had no plan for how to deal with a cyber attack and it could be months before it fully recovers.
The retailer has been forced to suspend online orders and freeze recruitment due to a severe hack.
GettyAn insider claimed M&S had no plan to deal with a hack[/caption]The upmarket High Street brand was plunged into “pure chaos” last week, with staff having to use their personal devices for work.
Employees have no idea whether hackers are still inside the M&S system, it’s been claimed.
The retailer is the latest victim in a series of ongoing cyber attacks, with Harrods and Co-op also targeted.
Speaking to Sky News, an insider claimed M&S “didn’t have a cyber attack plan” and there is a “lot of stress” in the head office right now.
“People have not been sleeping, people have spent their weekends working, people sleeping in the office – just reactive response,” they said.
It could even be a matter of months before things are back to normal.
“The idea is to have some services go back online bit by bit. Not do the whole shebang, but allow the people in the store and to allow people online to have services.”
There is a “sense of paranoia” because no one knows who has been “compromised”, they added.
The High Street brand earlier revealed it has still been unable to get its services back to normal following a crippling cyber attack.
It said it was “really sorry” it hasn’t been able to offer its usual services this week.
“We are working day and night to manage the current cyber incident and get things back to normal for you as quickly as possible,” chief executive Stuart Machin said in a statement.
“Thank you from me and everyone at M&S for all the support you have shown us. We do not take it for granted and we are incredibly grateful.
“Our teams are doing the very best they can, and are ready to welcome you into our stores – whether you are shopping for food or for fashion, home and beauty this bank holiday weekend.
“Thank you for your support and thank you for shopping with us. We will continue to keep you updated.”
The supermarket first revealed it had been hit by a major cyber attack on Monday, April 21.
Customers first noticed contactless payments going down and disruption to click and collect orders.
The supermarket was then forced to suspend all online orders through its website and app on Friday.
Not known, clear with picture deskMarks and Spencers posted a statement about the attack[/caption]Timeline of cyber attack
Saturday, April 19: Initial reports emerge on social media of problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect services at M&S stores across the UK. Customers experience difficulties collecting online purchases and returning items due to system issues. Monday, April 21: Problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect persist. M&S officially acknowledges the “cyber incident” in a statement to the London Stock Exchange. CEO Stuart Machin apologises for the disruption and confirms “minor, temporary changes” to store operations. M&S notifies the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and engages external cybersecurity experts. Tuesday, April 22: Disruptions continue. M&S takes further systems offline as part of “proactive management”. Wednesday, April 23: Despite earlier claims of customer- facing systems returning to normal, M&S continues to adjust operations to maintain security. Contactless payments are initially restored, but other services, including click-and-collect, remain affected. Thursday, April 24: Contactless payments and click-and-collect services are still unavailable. Reports surface suggesting the attackers possibly gained access to data in February. Friday, April 25: M&S suspends all online and app orders in the UK and Ireland for clothing and food, although customers can still browse products. This decision leads to a 5% drop in M&S’s share price. Monday, April 28: M&S is still unable to process online orders. Around 200 agency workers at the main distribution centre are told to stay home. Tuesday, April 29: Information suggests that the hacker group Scattered Spider is likely behind the attack. Shoppers spot empty shelves in selected stores. Read More Details
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