Latest news with #CastleDonington
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Clowes starts building new trade units at Stud Brook Business Park
Clowes Developments, a UK-based property investment and development company, has begun construction on new trade counter units at Stud Brook Business Park in Castle Donington, England. Partnering with Roe Developments, the company is advancing the next phase of the business park after securing approval from North West Leicestershire District Council. This new phase involves the development of five trade counters, a warehouse, and industrial units, each ranging from 3,229ft² to 4,606ft². To be located on Plot 1 of the business park, the new units will be constructed around an operational Starbucks Drive-Thru and situated near a recently opened Sainsbury's Local. According to Clowes Developments, the site provides direct access via the Castle Donington bypass and offers significant parking facilities, making it a desirable site for potential tenants. This development is part of a broader strategic plan aimed at expanding the park to cater mainly to trade counter operators. Roe Developments is overseeing the construction as the main contractor, working under a 30-week programme. The completion and handover of these units are anticipated around late 2025, with tenants expected to begin operations in early 2026. Clowes Developments development director James Richards said: 'The development has seen strong demand from trade operators since its launch, and Plot 1 represents a key opportunity to build on that momentum. 'With its prime location and excellent amenities, this phase is set to attract high-quality occupiers. Our ongoing collaboration with IMA Architects and local stakeholders ensures the scheme supports both commercial needs and the broader Castle Donington community.' Last month, Clowes Developments announced that phase one of Stud Brook Business Park had achieved practical completion. The initial phase featured industrial and distribution units ranging from 8,500ft² to 30,000ft². The first-phase units have been handed over to various industry players, including Argon Medical and Bucher Municipal, who are completing their fit-outs with the aim of becoming fully operational by mid-2025. "Clowes starts building new trade units at Stud Brook Business Park" was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
The Sun
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
M&S chairman names hackers and ransomware group behind April cyber attack
MARKS & Spencer's cyber attack was linked to hackers Scattered Spider and ransomware group DragonForce, according to its chairman. DragonForce is believed to rent out software that locks files and then demands payment to unlock them. M&S boss Archie Norman, who was quizzed by MPs yesterday, refused to say whether or not the retailer paid the group's ransom money following the hack in April. The attack left M&S unable to take online orders for more than six weeks and forced it to shut down operations at its Castle Donington warehouse. The breach is estimated to have cost £300million in lost profits, though M&S expects to recover half through cost management and insurance. Mr Norman told a business and trade select committee it was 'not an overstatement to describe it as traumatic', adding: 'We're still in the rebuild mode and will be for some time.' Addressing the nature of the attack, Mr Norman told MPs the hackers 'never send you a letter signed Scattered Spider'. He said: 'The attacker works through intermediaries — in this case DragonForce, who are a ransomware operation based, we believe, in Asia.' However, Mr Norman stopped short of talking about the nature of the discussions that had taken place with the hackers. Online orders were restored on June 10, but click and collect remains unavailable. M&S said it is working to strengthen cybersecurity to prevent future attacks. 1 DODGY PADS BANK FINE DIGITAL bank Monzo has been fined £21.1million for allowing customers to register accounts with fake addresses such as Buckingham Palace. Protect Your Android: Security Tips to Prevent Cyber Attacks The Financial Conduct Authority said Monzo accepted 'implausible' information between 2018 and 2020. Accounts were opened with PO Boxes, foreign addresses with UK postcodes and famous landmarks. The regulator said Monzo's systems failed to keep up with its rapid growth. The fine was reduced from £30million after the bank resolved the issues. KATE FAVE FAILS SERAPHINE, the maternity fashion brand loved by the Princess of Wales, crashed into administration yesterday. Its collapse — blamed on rising prices — has left the majority of its 95 staff redundant. Known for its stylish maternity wear, the retailer rose to fame after Princess Kate wore its designs during her pregnancies. At its peak, Seraphine had ten stores worldwide, including in New York and Paris. PREPAY COMPO OCTOPUS ENERGY has paid out £1.5million in compensation after regulator Ofgem found more than 34,000 prepayment meter customers did not receive their final bills within six weeks. Octopus agreed to pay an average of £43 per customer in refunds for leftover credit and compensation. Ofgem said final bills are especially important for those on low incomes so they know where they stand.
The Guardian
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
M&S boss says firms should be legally required to report cyber-attacks
UK businesses should be legally required to report major cyber-attacks, the boss of Marks & Spencer has suggested as he claimed two hacks involving 'large British companies' had gone unreported in recent months. In evidence to MPs about the impact of the massive cyber-attack on M&S that forced it to close down its online store for almost seven weeks, the retailer's chair, Archie Norman, said the business was still in 'rebuild mode'. He said its key online clothing distribution centre in Castle Donington in Leicestershire still offline, adding 'it would not be an overstatement to describe [the attack] as traumatic' and 'like an out of body experience'. Norman told parliament's business and trade sub-committee on economic security, arms and export controls that M&S had been quick to report the hack to the UK's cyber watchdog – the National Cyber Security Centre – which had helped others protect themselves about the hackers with other businesses. He said making such reports mandatory was 'a very interesting idea' as 'it is apparent to us quite a large number of serious cyber-attacks never get reported to the NCSC'. 'We have reason to believe there have two major cyber-attacks on large British companies in the last four months that have gone unreported,' he said. His claim comes after MP David Davis claimed in parliament that an unnamed British company 'had paid a very large sum to its blackmailer recently'. Norman would not comment on whether M&S had paid a ransom, saying it was 'a matter of law enforcement' and the business was 'not discussing any of the details of interaction with threat actor'. However, he said any business paying a ransom might have to ask themselves what they would get in return. 'In our case substantially the damage had been done,' he said. The attack on M&S which began on 17 April and was spotted by M&S a couple of days later, involved the deployment of ransomware. A hacking collective known as Scattered Spider has been linked to the attack. Norman said the hack had been sophisticated, involving impersonation and a third-party contractor. 'There have been media reports M&S leaving the back door open. We didn't,' Norman said. 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 He said the group had spent hundreds of millions of pounds on improving its cybersecurity in the year before the attack and tripled its prevention team to 80. 'Anybody that had suffered such a major cyber-attack cannot say thousand things you could have done differently,' he said. However, he suggested it was almost impossible for an organisation with so many workers and contractors to keep out a determined 'threat actor'. M&S's general council Nick Folland told MPs that M&S would advise other businesses to 'make sure you can run your business on pen and paper because that is what you need to do' when a serious attack hits. All organisations must already report significant breaches of personal data to the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK's data protection watchdog, within 72 hours.
The Sun
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Major M&S boss reveals criminal gang behind crippling cyber attack
MARKS & Spencer has revealed that hacker group "DragonForce" was behind the cyberattack that shut down its online shopping for six weeks. Chairman Archie Norman told UK lawmakers the attack crippled M&S's automated warehouse in Castle Donington, which is set to be back online imminently. 1 The breach disrupted operations in April and May, forcing the retailer to scramble to restore its systems. The hack saw click and collect services across UK stores go down, as well as customer information stolen. The group originally suspected to be behind the cyber attack was "Scattered Spider" - a notorious cyber criminal-collective. However, it's now confirmed that the attack was carried out by DragonForce. DragonForce creates ransomware that locks up a victim's files and rents it out to other criminals. A group of young, English-speaking hackers is thought to be using DragonForce's tools to attack companies. These hackers steal data and demand a ransom to unlock the files and prevent the stolen information from being leaked. The attack on M&S began on Saturday, April 19, with customers unable to collect purchases or return items. On April 21, M&S acknowledged the attack, apologised for the inconvenience, and engaged cyber security experts while notifying the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Despite M&S' efforts to restore systems, disruptions continued throughout the week, forcing the retailer to make operational adjustments, including suspending online and app orders on Friday, April 24. This decision led to a 5% drop in the company's share price. Shoppers reported empty shelves in some stores with staple items including bananas, fish, and the iconic Colin the Caterpillar cakes hard find in some shops. On May 13, M&S confirmed that some customer information had been stolen in the attack. On Wednesday, May 21, M&S said that disruption from the attack is expected to continue through July. Timeline of cyber attack Saturday, April 19: Initial reports emerge on social media of problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect services at M&S stores across the UK. Customers experience difficulties collecting online purchases and returning items due to system issues. Monday, April 21: Problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect persist. M&S officially acknowledges the "cyber incident" in a statement to the London Stock Exchange. CEO Stuart Machin apologises for the disruption and confirms "minor, temporary changes" to store operations. M&S notifies the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and engages external cybersecurity experts. Tuesday, April 22: Disruptions continue. M&S takes further systems offline as part of "proactive management". Wednesday, April 23: Despite earlier claims of customer-facing systems returning to normal, M&S continues to adjust operations to maintain security. Contactless payments are initially restored, but other services, including click-and-collect, remain affected. Thursday, April 24: Contactless payments and click-and-collect services are still unavailable. Reports surface suggesting the attackers possibly gained access to data in February. Friday, April 25: M&S suspends all online and app orders in the UK and Ireland for clothing and food, although customers can still browse products. This decision leads to a 5% drop in M&S's share price. Monday, April 28: M&S is still unable to process online orders. Around 200 agency workers at the main distribution centre are told to stay home. Tuesday, April 29: Information suggests that the hacker group Scattered Spider is likely behind the attack. Shoppers spot empty shelves in selected stores. Tuesday, May 13: M&S revealed that some customer information has been stolen. Wednesday, May 21: The retailer said disruption from the attack is expected to continue through to July. Click and collect, next day delivery and UK nominated day delivery for fashion items are still unavailable with services set to be restored "as soon as possible". However, the retailer reintroduced a selection of third-party brands to its website last week, including Adidas, Columbia, and Lilybod. M&S is now strengthening its cybersecurity measures to prevent future attacks as it works to fully recover from the disruption. What is a cyber attack? A CYBER attack is any deliberate attempt to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorised access to computer systems, networks, or digital devices. These attacks can target individuals, businesses, or even governments, and their motives can range from financial gain to political disruption. Cyber attacks can take many forms, employing various techniques to achieve their malicious goals. Common types of cyber attacks include: Malware: Malicious software designed to damage or gain control of a system. Examples include viruses, worms, ransomware, and spyware. Phishing: Deceptive attempts to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, or credit card details, often through fake emails or websites. Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks: Flooding a network or server with traffic to overwhelm its resources and make it unavailable to legitimate users. SQL Injection: Exploiting vulnerabilities in website databases to gain unauthorised access to data. Ransomware: Malware that encrypts a victim's data and demands a ransom for its release. Social Engineering: Manipulating individuals into performing actions or divulging confidential information.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Millions still spent on abandoned fire control site
Almost £30m of taxpayers' money has been spent on maintaining an empty fire control centre, which was never used. The idea to operate fire services across five East Midlands counties from the site in Castle Donington was suggested in 2004 as part of a nationwide reorganisation dubbed FiReControl which was later scrapped. But not before the government had signed a 25-year contract in 2007 for the £14m building, which must run until 2033. Costs, including rent, rates, utilities and security for the site, currently account for about £2.5m a year, so a further £20m or more could need to be spent by the contract's end. Releasing ongoing financial details of the contract, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) confirmed to the BBC that there are "no circumstances" that could end the contract earlier than was agreed in 2007. The 2024/25 financial year saw £2,580,154.62 spent on the building in Warke Flatt. The MHCLG said while it was tied to the contract, it was looking to find an alternative use or an occupier for the site to offset the ongoing costs. A spokesperson said: "We are working to find new tenants for these buildings so that we can deliver value for money for taxpayers." The three-story site in Willowbrook Farm Business Park was planned to open in 2009 to handle emergency calls for Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire. It would have been one of nine new centres replacing the existing 46 control rooms across the country. The Fire Brigades Union opposed the plans as costly and potentially leading to a reduction in service. And by 2010 the project had been scrapped. In 2011, a committee of MPs said the entire scheme was a "complete failure" and had cost almost half a billion pounds. Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Fire centres costing £7.6m a year Fire control centre handed over Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
