Harrods becomes latest retailer hit by cyber attack after M&S and Co-op

Harrods, the luxury department store in London, has become the latest retailer targeted by cyber hackers.

Crooks attempted to ‘gain unauthorised access’ to the high-end retailer’s systems.

Upmarket shoppers are being warned that the company has ‘restricted internet access’, leaving some unable to pay.

Marks and Spencer was paralysed over Easter by a ‘cyber incident’, while supermarket Co-Op had to shut down part of its IT system.

Harrods told Metro: ‘We recently experienced attempts to gain unauthorised access to some of our systems.

‘Our seasoned IT security team immediately took proactive steps to keep systems safe, and as a result, we have restricted internet access at our sites today.

‘Currently, all our sites, including our Knightsbridge store, H beauty stores and airport stores, remain open to welcome customers. Customers can also continue to shop via harrods.com.

‘We are not asking our customers to do anything differently at this point and we will continue to provide updates as necessary.’

The M&S outage saw the company’s ordering system be knocked out, pausing deliveries and leaving store shelves bare.

Sales and share price plunged in the aftermath of an attack that cybersecurity experts say was down to a ransomware called Dragonforce.

Meanwhile, Co-op was forced to hit the big red button on its IT systems, impacting its back office and call centre services.

‘There must be a common thread across these retailers that has put them firmly in the crosshairs of cybercriminals,’ said Tim Grieveson, CSO at computer and network security company ThingsRecon.

‘These aren’t isolated events, they are a wake-up call. The action and initiative we have seen from the Co-Op and Harrods should be a blueprint for others, not just in retail, but across all sectors.’

Dragonforce is ransomware that can be purchased via the dark web, a hidden pocket of the internet only accessible with a special browser, explained Jake Moore, a global cybersecurity advisor at digital security firm ESET.

It’s used in ‘Ransomware as a Service (RaaS)’, he told Metro, ‘a business model used by cybercriminals where ransomware is created and sold to criminal hackers who use it to carry out attacks.

‘In return, the developers of the strain of malware take a share of any of the ransom payments collected from their victims.

‘What is interesting about RaaS is that this service lowers the technical ability for those launching the ransomware attack, making it easier for less skilled individuals to take part in cyberattacks.’

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