Mark & Spencer’s Easter Cyber Egg: When Hackers Crash the Party
Mark and Spencer fell victim to a cyberattack on its contactless payment terminals, causing Easter Monday chaos. Despite the disruption, physical and online sales remained smooth. As cybercriminals target holiday weekends, businesses must embrace automated threat detection and zero-trust models to avoid becoming the next headline-worthy blunder.
Hot Take:
In the latest episode of ‘Retailers vs. Cyber Baddies,’ M&S finds itself in a payment pickle as hackers crash their cardless party on Easter Monday. While the chocolate eggs remain unscathed, their digital infrastructure might have taken a hit. Who knew cybercriminals had a penchant for holiday sabotage?
Key Points:
- M&S experienced a cyberattack disrupting contactless payments in over 1,400 UK stores.
- Physical stores and online platforms remained mostly unaffected, but payment gateways might have been compromised.
- The attack could potentially involve data extraction or ransomware, but details are still under investigation.
- The incident aligns with a trend of cyberattacks targeting holiday periods when IT staff is less available.
- Experts recommend automated threat detection, zero-trust models, and regular penetration testing to combat such threats.
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