The Co-op has shut down parts of its IT system after an attempted cyber attack, just days after M&S battled a cyber incident.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the company said it observed “attempts to gain unauthorised access” to systems and moved swiftly to contain the issue.
“As a result, we have taken proactive steps to keep our systems safe, which has resulted in a small impact to some of our back office and call centre services.”
However, the company said all its stores, including quick commerce operations and funeral home business, are operating as usual.
“We are working hard to reduce any disruption to our services and would like to thank our colleagues, members, partners and suppliers for their understanding during this period,” the spokesperson said.
“We are not asking our members or customers to do anything differently at this point. We will continue to provide updates as necessary.”
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is believed to be working with the Co-op in response to the incident, while also investigating the attack on M&S.
The Co-op appears to have acted quickly to contain the problem, and so far, the event looks a great deal less disruptive than the M&S attack, according to Nathaniel Jones, VP of Security & AI Strategy at Darktrace.
“It looks as if the Co-op is being cautious, possibly because it may use the same supplier as M&S,” Jones said.
“Today’s hackers don’t just break into computers; they break the trust between companies by abusing supplier links, employee accounts and APIs all along the supply chain.”
Details on the Co-op cyber attack are scarce
As of yet, there’s no information on what exactly has happened, whether this was a ransomware operation, and who may have been behind it.
Nick Dyer, a cybersecurity expert at Arctic Wolf, said it’s still too early to speculate on the culprits behind the attempted hack.
“While the ‘Scattered Spider’ hacking group has been linked to the attack on M&S, we can’t yet point the finger at who is responsible and the majority of these attacks are carried out by professional cyber gangs looking to gain financial benefit from the impact of the cyber incident,” Dyer, commented.
“The good news is that it appears Co-op have been able to initiate their incident response and business continuity plans by proactively restricting and isolating certain business services for its in-store teams and legal division for the time being.”
According to new figures from PDI Security and Network Solutions, there’s been a sharp rise in ransomware targeting the retail sector, particularly with regard to ‘double extortion’ attacks.
Analysis from the firm shows attacks against organisations in the sector have increased by nearly 75% compared to last year. Retailers are prime targets for cyber criminals due to the large volumes of customer data they hold and heavy reliance on a complex network of third-party vendors.
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