Tue, 29 Apr 2025

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 Some M&S stores left with empty shelves after cyber attack

The BBC understands food availability should be back to normal by the end of the week.

* Some Marks & Spencer (M&S) stores have empty food shelves due to a cyber attack affecting its operations.
* Online orders on M&S's website and app have been paused since Friday, with problems also reported with contactless pay and Click & Collect.
* Security experts believe a cyber crime group called DragonForce is behind the attack, which uses ransomware to scramble data and extort money from victims.
* The BBC understands that food availability should return to normal by the end of the week.
* M&S has confirmed "pockets of limited availability" in some stores due to the disruption, but is using alternative processes to improve availability.
* Customers have reported difficulties finding products in store, with one shopper saying they couldn't find their favourite biscuits.
* The cyber attack is expected to dent profits, analysts say, as customers may go elsewhere to shop instead.
* M&S's share price has fallen 4.6% over the last five days, despite a slight rise on Tuesday morning.
* Security expert Kevin Beaumont said that DragonForce uses a "ransomware as a service" model, allowing any cyber criminal to rent the malicious software to infect victims' systems.
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