UK high street retailer Marks & Spencer says contactless payments are still down following its “cyber incident” and order delays are likely to continue.
The clothing, homeware, and produce purveyor told customers in an update on Wednesday evening that Click & Collect orders were also suspended until further notice, and that they should expect delays to home deliveries too.
One detail the retailer added – consistent with disclosures involving ransomware – was that some of its internal processes have been moved offline.
M&S hasn’t confirmed either way whether ransomware was involved, despite The Register’s inquiries, but the detail aligns with the company’s initial disclosure that stated it was taking actions to protect its network.
“We have made the proactive decision to move some of our processes offline to protect our colleagues, partners, suppliers, and our business,” the retailer’s most recent update said.
“We are incredibly grateful for the understanding and support that our customers, colleagues, partners, and suppliers have shown. We are working hard to restore our services and minimize disruption, and are being supported by industry-leading experts. We will continue to update as appropriate as we work to resolve these issues.”
As for why contactless payments are down, with no mention of chip and PIN payments being affected, M&S hasn’t responded to our questions.
The retailer, which operates more than 1,000 stores across the UK, also confirmed via social media that all shops remain open, and orders can still be placed online and through its app – no change on that front.
Looking at the public responses, M&S customers appear pleased with the business’s approach to its public comms about the incident, which started at the weekend.
While some organizations still haven’t got the message, here in the UK, at least, victims seem to be slowly understanding that taking responsibility for cyberattacks tends to go down quite well.
Though it may not live long in the memory of the non-technical folks, the British Library’s response to its ransomware attack is routinely lauded by those in the security industry as an example of effective crisis communication. Since then, there has been a noticeable shift toward open, honest, and regular communications with customers following major security breaches. ®