Cyber criminals have been able to “access and extract data” from one of the company’s computer systems
The boss of the cooperative apologized to customers after a “highly mature” hacker attacked the retailer’s IT system.
The Manchester-based co-op is one of many retailers including Marks & Spencer and Harrods, and will be hit by Hacks in recent weeks.
In a statement last week, a spokesperson for the cooperative revealed that cybercriminals were able to “access and extract data” from one of the company’s computer systems.
They added that the breached data included information related to many members of the store’s current and past.
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Partner Group CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq told clients in an email Tuesday afternoon that the business is still “experienced major damage” due to the cyber attack.
“Actively managing the severity of the attack means shutting down some of our systems to protect the organization. As previously communicated, we have determined that cybercriminals have access to limited member data.
“It’s obviously very painful for our colleagues and members and I’m very sorry.”
Ms Khoury-Haq said the company is “delayingly working” to protect its business, understand the extent of hackers and provide information to relevant authorities. This is where the co-op is unable to pay in some of its stores, and shoppers face empty shelves due to ongoing consequences.
Customers reported on Tuesday (May 6) that there were signs that their card machines were offline were “cash only”. Contactless payments are also affected by a few stores, and the team is working to restore normal systems.
The vast majority of retailers’ 2,300 stores are still taking the usual payment method.
This is because shoppers also highlighted empty shelves in some stores and indicated availability was affected by cyber attacks.
A spokesperson for the cooperative said: “This means that some of our stores may not have all the usual products available, and if this is the case at local stores, we would like to apologize to our members and customers.
“We are working 24/7 to reduce disruption and restore delivery. We want to thank our colleagues, members, customers and suppliers for their understanding during this time.”
Last week, the co-op apologized and the hackers extracted personal data from members, such as names and contact details. It said it had to shut down a part of its IT system after experiencing a “continuous malicious attempt” to access its system.
Meanwhile, rival Marks & Spencer (M&S) has been dealing with the disruption caused by its recent cyber incidents after witnessing the issue for the first time two weeks ago.
The company reportedly cannot offer some meal deals in some of its stores after affecting the impact of its products.
A M&S spokesperson said: “Customers can still buy meal offers at our train station stores, but there are a lot of availability for some items. We are working to continue to bring the products into the store.”
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