Marks & Spencer Website Back Online After Cyber Attack Disruption
Marks & Spencer’s website has resumed browsing functionality following a temporary shutdown that left users unable to access the platform overnight. The retailer confirmed early Thursday morning that customers can now browse its site again after overnight updates were implemented.
The brief outage came amid ongoing fallout from a cyber attack that has severely disrupted M&S’s online operations for several weeks. While online shopping remains suspended, this partial restoration marks a step toward normalcy for the High Street brand.
A notice posted on the site Wednesday evening informed users: “Sorry you can’t browse the site currently. We’re making some updates and will be back soon.” The platform was restored just after 7 a.m. on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, M&S disclosed that the cyber attack is expected to impact its annual profits by approximately £300 million – a higher figure than many analysts had anticipated. While part of the loss will be covered by insurance, the company warned that full recovery of its digital services is not expected until July.
The sophisticated cyber breach, which occurred over the Easter weekend, initially disrupted services including click-and-collect and contactless payments. M&S later suspended all online orders as a precaution.
Investigations have revealed that personal customer data – such as phone numbers, addresses, and dates of birth – may have been compromised. However, the retailer stressed that no passwords or usable payment information were stolen. Online order histories may also have been accessed.
M&S CEO Stuart Machin described the incident as a “highly sophisticated and targeted cyber attack.” Law enforcement authorities are reportedly focusing their investigation on a hacker group known as Scattered Spider, which has also been linked to breaches at the Co-op and Harrods.
In a Thursday morning update, M&S stated: “Our website is open for browsing. As we work to get things back to normal for our customers we are doing some overnight updates.”
Online shopping remains suspended for now, but M&S has reassured customers it is working swiftly to restore full functionality.