The Marks & Spencer (M&S) website is currently unavailable, following the revelation that the retailer is anticipating a £300 million loss in profits due to a ransomware attack last month.
A message on the website states that updates are being made and that the site will be back online soon.
Since the incident on April 22nd, online purchases have been halted, and it may take a few weeks before services are fully restored. Sky News has reported that the maintenance work is part of routine procedures.
M&S recently warned that the disruption to their operations could extend into July. However, CEO Stuart Machin remains optimistic about the company’s recovery.
It is believed that M&S was targeted by the hacking group known as Scattered Spider, which has also attacked other retailers like The Co-op and Harrods.
Last week, M&S confirmed that personal data of some customers had been compromised, reassuring that no usable payment or card details were accessed.
Passwords were unaffected, but there are concerns that contact information such as names, addresses, and phone numbers may have been obtained.
Empty shelves were seen in stores in the immediate aftermath of the cyberattack. Pic: SponPlague
The company’s valuation has dropped by over £1 billion as a result of the cyber incident.
«This setback is temporary, and we are confident that we will emerge stronger from this experience, continuing our efforts to reshape M&S for the benefit of our customers, employees, and shareholders,» stated Mr. Machin during a briefing with analysts on Wednesday.