The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has spoken out following a wave of cyber attacks against British retailers that has seen household names such as Marks and Spencer (M&S), the Co-op and Harrods, affected by empty shelves and disrupted click and collect services, warning others to be on their guard against similar intrusions.
In a news release the agency confirmed it was working with the organisations affected and NCSC CEO Dr Richard Horne added:
“The disruption caused by the recent incidents impacting the retail sector are naturally a cause for concern to those businesses affected, their customers and the public.
“The NCSC continues to work closely with organisations that have reported incidents to us to fully understand the nature of these attacks and to provide expert advice to the wider sector based on the threat picture.
“These incidents should act as a wake-up call to all organisations. I urge leaders to follow the advice on the NCSC website to ensure they have appropriate measures in place to help prevent attacks and respond and recover effectively.”
It is believed ransomware called DragonForce was used in the attack at M&S. At the moment security experts have not said if the cyber attacks at the three retailers are linked.