This is just the start, says secretive ‘gang whose hacking attacks wreaked havoc on Britain's high streets - with targets including M&S and Harrods'
A secretive gang of cyber criminals last night claimed to be behind the hacking attacks wreaking havoc on Britain's high streets – warning this is 'just the start'.
The group, called DragonForce, said it and its affiliates, which may include the Scattered Spider crew of teenage hackers, are responsible for attacks on Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods.
The hackers claimed to have stolen millions of customers' data and said they are trying to force their victims to pay a ransom.
It came as Co-op said the personal data of customers, including names and contact details, had been stolen after cyber criminals accessed its systems, with the information watchdog highlighting that a similar situation could have taken place at M&S.
Retailers are on red alert for similar attacks, as DragonForce said it was poised to launch more. In an interview with Bloomberg, its anonymous creators threatened to release data if it does not receive payment from the retailers, saying it typically expects millions of pounds for ransom payments.
The group operates similarly to a criminal cartel and sells its software to other hackers, such as the Scattered Spider gang.
'Our job is not to destroy, we just take some money and walk away,' it said, also warning that the recent attacks were 'just a start'. DragonForce hackers claimed more than 90 victims last year and targeted companies across various industries.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) urged M&S and Co-op customers to use strong passwords and different ones across multiple platforms.
Stephen Bonner, ICO deputy commissioner, said: 'We recognise that seeing cyber attacks in the news can be concerning, especially if you are a customer.
'If you are worried about your personal information, you can visit our website for advice and support. We also advise checking regularly for updates from the organisation and following their advice if they confirm that your personal information has been impacted by a cyber attack.'
While M&S would not comment on if shoppers' data is at risk, boss Stuart Machin apologised to shoppers after the devastating attack that has lasted two weeks.
The chain's customers and staff have been reeling from the disruption since Easter weekend, with millions of pounds of lost business still mounting. Harrods revealed it was also targeted this week, as technology experts warned over 'copycat' hacks.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is set to warn that cyber criminals are trying to hack firms 'every hour of every day'.
Speaking at the CyberUK conference next week, Pat McFadden will say companies must treat cyber security as 'an absolute priority' in the face of a growing threat from 'relentless' criminals.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
‘We're being attacked all the time': how UK banks stop hackers
It is every bank boss's worst nightmare: a panicked phone call informs them a cyber-attack has crippled the IT system, rapidly unleashing chaos across the entire UK financial industry. As household names in other industries, including Marks & Spencer, grapple with the fallout from such hacks, banking executives will be acutely aware that, for them, the stakes are even higher. Within hours of a successful bank hack, millions of direct debits could fail, leaving rents, mortgages and wages unpaid. Online banking may be blocked, cash machine withdrawals denied, and commuters left in limbo as buses and petrol stations reject payments. News of the attack could spark panic, leading to a run on rival lenders, as customers pull money from their accounts amid fear the disruption could spread. This situation may seem far-fetched but it is not a long way off from the government's 'reasonable worst-case scenario' if a sophisticated cyber-attack hit a big UK bank. With the financial industry among 14 sectors categorised as 'critical national infrastructure', it is no surprise that a hack is listed on the national risk register, which models some of the biggest threats facing the UK. Billions of pounds are being spent preventing the kind of devastating attacks that shut down systems at three retailers, Harrods, the Co-op and M&S, this spring. 'The amount of money [that] banks, all of us, will be spending on our systems is enormous today. And it has to be,' the UK chief executive of HSBC, Ian Stuart, told MPs last month. 'We are being attacked all the time.' HSBC alone is having to invest hundreds of millions of pounds to protect itself, Stuart said. 'This is our biggest expense.' Globally, banks are expected to allocate 11% of their IT budgets to cybersecurity in 2025, according to an EY study. With those IT budgets forecast to hit $290bn (£214bn) this year, according to the research body Celent, banks could end up shelling out $32bn on cybersecurity by December. It is a new era for high street banks, as attempted heists evolve from criminals in balaclavas hitting physical branches and vaults to state-sponsored hackers and independent cybergroups looking for ransom payments or merely to cause mass disruption. 'Banks have understood the risk far better than probably a lot of other industries. They've invested far more in security,' said Stuart McKenzie, a managing director for Mandiant Consulting, a Google-owned cybersecurity company that works closely with a number of lenders in the UK. Last month the governor of the Bank of England told the BBC that cybersecurity was a risk that was never going away because it continually evolved. 'We're dealing with bad actors who will continually refine the lines of attack. And I always have to say to institutions: 'You've got to continue to work at this,'' Andrew Bailey said. However, protecting systems is a complex task. Most high street banks operate on an onion-like IT system, with layers upon layers of updates, patches and add-ons. Throw third-party software and cloud providers into the mix, and banks are left playing whack-a-mole. 'We call it the attack surface,' Alan Woodward, a professor and cybersecurity expert at the University of Surrey, said. 'The attack surface has actually increased, so the opportunities for attackers to try to look for ways in have also increased.' No bank hacks to date have been disruptive enough to bring a country to an economic standstill – although April's power blackout across the Iberian peninsula exposed how reliant modern societies are on digital payments. Where hackers have been successful, they have more often than not targeted banks' customer data and accounts. In 2021, attackers on the US bank Morgan Stanley stole personal information belonging to its corporate clients by hacking into a server used by a third-party consulting company. A year earlier, at the start of the Covid pandemic, attackers got hold of staff mailboxes at the Italian state-owned bank Monte dei Paschi, and sent emails to clients with voicemail attachments. Meanwhile, one of the most devastating hacks on a UK bank came in 2016, when criminals found a way to guess bank card details and steal almost £2.5m from 9,000 accounts at Tesco Bank. Tesco was forced to halt all online and contactless card transactions after struggling to block fake purchases taking place around the world, including Spain and Brazil. Tesco Bank eventually reimbursed customers in full. The National Cyber Security Centre says customers who suspect a hack should contact their bank using their official website or social media channels, and avoid using any links or contact details they have been sent. The organisation should be able to confirm if a hack has actually taken place, how they have been affected and what they need to do next. The Bank of England has tried to stay a step ahead. Policymakers officially recognised cybersecurity as a risk to financial stability in 2013 and started to implement cyber resilience standards for all regulated banks and insurers under its supervision. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion That involved the launch of 'CBEST', a world-first scheme in which ethical hackers test a single bank's potential vulnerabilities with a cutting-edge attack. 'Nothing is 100% secure,' Woodward said, but the UK banking system comes close. 'A lot of it has to do with the oversight', particularly by the central bank. 'They gather threats and intelligence from MI5, GCHQ, NCSC, all the usual people, and then they actually try real scenarios out to see how robustly a bank can withstand that,' he said. The central bank also coordinates multiday cyberwar games as part of its SIMEX – simulation exercise – programme every two years to test City companies' security. Authorities are tested, too, and the Bank, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Treasury and the National Cyber Security Centre review their response to a range of devastating scenarios. Regulators are not just checking banks' preventive measures. Policymakers assume a cyber-attack will eventually be successful and are therefore pushing banks to prepare their response and recover plans that would avoid long-lasting outages that could bring pockets of the economy to a standstill. The Cross Market Business Continuity Group, which brings together regulators and members of the bank industry body UK Finance, boasts the ability to summon about 100 companies for emergency group calls in under an hour to discuss a potential attack. Fending off a hack is seen as vital to protect an industry that ultimately trades on trust: customers expect lenders to keep their information, wages and life savings protected from outside threats. 'If somebody breaks in there and manages to make a fraudulent transaction … you're not going to trust that bank again with your money, are you?' Woodward said. Banks have already experienced the backlash that can erupt from mere IT outages, without any malicious actors trying to disrupt the banking system or steal data and cash. TSB has for years been working to restore its reputation after its IT meltdown in 2018, caused by its botched separation from Lloyds' internal systems, which left millions of banking customers locked out of their accounts for weeks. The lender was subsequently fined £48m for 'widespread and serious' failings. Outages have continued to plague customers of Britain's largest banks and building societies, who suffered the equivalent of more than a month of IT failures between January 2023 and February 2025, according to the data gathered by the parliamentary Treasury committee. 'The security of customer money and data is of paramount importance to banks, not just because it's a requirement under regulation but because it's the way that banks do business,' Laura Catterick, a director focused on resilience and cybersecurity at UK Finance, said. 'I would say, never rule out a cyber-attack. But I would say, there should be confidence in the amount of cyber defences in place.'
Scottish Sun
17 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
B&M has slashed the price of a kids summer essential to just £1 down from £50
Keep reading for even more garden deals at B&M summer bargain B&M has slashed the price of a kids summer essential to just £1 down from £50 Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ONE proud shopper announced he'd snapped up the 'bargain of the year' after he bagged a £50 garden toy for just £1. The Giant Rocking Planet inflatable is ideal for keeping your little ones off their gadgets and instead, outside in nature. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The shopper was stunned to pick up this £50 toy for just £1 after using the B&M scanner Credit: B&M Scanner And Other Bargains!/Facebook It is for children aged eight and above, and it comes with a battery-operated pump. The toy was originally £50 before it was reduced to £20, then it plummeted to just £1. The cost-cutting customer shared a snap of the product on B&M Scanner and Other Bargains Facebook. He added a screen grab with information to help other shoppers find it in their local stores. "Just found the bargain of the year!! £50!!!! Down to £1," he wrote. Other shoppers flocked to the comment section, with one writing: "Super bargain!" Another shared a photo of her own giant inflatable and wrote: "Thank you! Just got one." A third wrote: "Omg my autistic son would loooooove this!!!!!" "I've been looking everywhere for one of these! I saw them a few years ago and they've never had them again!" chimed a fourth. The product code is: 394873 and the B&M scanner noted that the inflatable is subject to availability. He'd discovered the major deal by using the B&M free barcode scanner. The tool allows shoppers to discover discounted items before the staff have even reduced them. The scanner lets you see if the item's price is cheaper than advertised on the shop shelf. Products that are typically discounted are seasonal items and old stock that B&M is trying to shift, or they're labelled "big brands" and "big savings". It's a terrific hack to use, especially since the cost of living keeps rising and inflation might hit 15% by the end of the year. B&M bargains often differ from store to store and customers are warned that some products are available in selected stores only. To avoid a wasted trip, contact your local branch to check their stock. To find your nearest, use the online store locator tool. The garden toy is made in the shape of Saturn, with a large ring running around the outside for children to climb on. There are handles on the sphere for kids to hold on as they rock from side to side. Another shopper was thrilled with the deal, and treated her kids to a inflatable boxing ring and slide too. "Grand total of £12 for £150 worth of toys! Slide was £10 and the other two were £1 each," she wrote on the same Facebook group. If you're looking to turn your garden into a fun-filled play area for your kids, B&M has you covered with more incredible offers. The discount store is flogging a huge inflatable slide for just £10. A shopper shared the deal on the same Facebook page and wrote: "Yesterday's find at B&M." Attached to the post was a picture of a Gigantic Garden Slide, originally priced at £50. A sale sticker had been placed on the box, to say it had been reduced to £30, however, when the shopper got to the till, it had been reduced to just £10. The bargain buy is six feet long when inflated and promises "slip'n, slide'n fun". It is suitable for children over three and includes a battery-operated pump. B&M said: "Unleash the fun in the sun with this epic giant inflatable slide! "Watch as the kids' smiles reach new heights - It's the ultimate entertainment for endless summer fun." Shoppers raced to the comments section of the Facebook posts to tag their friends and share the bargain with them. One shopper pointed out that the slide is from last year's stock, so may not be available to buy in your local.
The Sun
17 hours ago
- The Sun
B&M has slashed the price of a kids summer essential to just £1 down from £50
ONE proud shopper announced he'd snapped up the 'bargain of the year' after he bagged a £50 garden toy for just £1. The Giant Rocking Planet inflatable is ideal for keeping your little ones off their gadgets and instead, outside in nature. 2 It is for children aged eight and above, and it comes with a battery-operated pump. The toy was originally £50 before it was reduced to £20, then it plummeted to just £1. The cost-cutting customer shared a snap of the product on B&M Scanner and Other Bargains Facebook. He added a screen grab with information to help other shoppers find it in their local stores. "Just found the bargain of the year!! £50!!!! Down to £1," he wrote. Other shoppers flocked to the comment section, with one writing: "Super bargain!" Another shared a photo of her own giant inflatable and wrote: "Thank you! Just got one." A third wrote: "Omg my autistic son would loooooove this!!!!!" "I've been looking everywhere for one of these! I saw them a few years ago and they've never had them again!" chimed a fourth. The product code is: 394873 and the B&M scanner noted that the inflatable is subject to availability. He'd discovered the major deal by using the B&M free barcode scanner. The tool allows shoppers to discover discounted items before the staff have even reduced them. The scanner lets you see if the item's price is cheaper than advertised on the shop shelf. Products that are typically discounted are seasonal items and old stock that B&M is trying to shift, or they're labelled "big brands" and "big savings". It's a terrific hack to use, especially since the cost of living keeps rising and inflation might hit 15% by the end of the year. B&M bargains often differ from store to store and customers are warned that some products are available in selected stores only. To avoid a wasted trip, contact your local branch to check their stock. To find your nearest, use the online store locator tool. The garden toy is made in the shape of Saturn, with a large ring running around the outside for children to climb on. There are handles on the sphere for kids to hold on as they rock from side to side. Another shopper was thrilled with the deal, and treated her kids to a inflatable boxing ring and slide too. "Grand total of £12 for £150 worth of toys! Slide was £10 and the other two were £1 each," she wrote on the same Facebook group. If you're looking to turn your garden into a fun-filled play area for your kids, B&M has you covered with more incredible offers. The discount store is flogging a huge inflatable slide for just £10. A shopper shared the deal on the same Facebook page and wrote: "Yesterday's find at B&M." Attached to the post was a picture of a Gigantic Garden Slide, originally priced at £50. A sale sticker had been placed on the box, to say it had been reduced to £30, however, when the shopper got to the till, it had been reduced to just £10. The bargain buy is six feet long when inflated and promises "slip'n, slide'n fun". It is suitable for children over three and includes a battery-operated pump. B&M said: "Unleash the fun in the sun with this epic giant inflatable slide! "Watch as the kids' smiles reach new heights - It's the ultimate entertainment for endless summer fun." Shoppers raced to the comments section of the Facebook posts to tag their friends and share the bargain with them. One shopper pointed out that the slide is from last year's stock, so may not be available to buy in your local.
