Marks & Spencer resumes online orders after cyberattack disruption

Marks & Spencer has confirmed the phased return of its online orders this week, following a major cyberattack that forced the retailer to temporarily suspend operations on its website and app.

Online orders for home delivery are gradually being restored as part of a staggered rollout, although the click-and-collect service remains unavailable for now.

Richard Price, Managing Director for Fashion, Home & Beauty, said: "We are bringing back online shopping this week. A selection of our bestselling fashion ranges will be available for home delivery to England, Scotland and Wales.

"More of our fashion, home and beauty products will be added every day and we will resume deliveries to Northern Ireland and click-and-collect in the coming weeks."

It comes after news last week revealed that hackers who targeted M&S sent an abusive email to its CEO, boasting about the breach and demanding payment.

The message, seen by the BBC, was sent to CEO Stuart Machin on 23 April by the hacker group DragonForce, using the email account of an employee.

In addition to claiming they deployed ransomware to damage the retailer's IT systems, the hackers alleged to have stolen the personal data of millions of customers.

Problems for M&S began over the Easter holiday weekend, with shoppers reporting issues using contactless payments and click-and-collect services. The company later halted online orders and store availability was impacted by the disruption.

The retailer then confirmed that personal customer data was stolen during the cyberattack. It said the compromised information may have included names, email addresses, postal addresses, and dates of birth. However, M&S emphasised that payment card details and account passwords were not affected.

The knock-on effect of the attack means its services will continue to be disrupted until July, as it estimates profits for the current year to reduce by as much as £300 million.

Following the incident - alongside other attacks at firms such as Co-op, Harrods, and The North Face - new data from global research agency Opinium revealed that 66% of UK consumers now plan to change their online shopping habits and reconsider how and where they shop.

Of 2,000 UK adults surveyed, 23% of consumers now intend to only shop online with brands they completely trust, while 22% will only shop with brands they feel have strong security.

Even more damning, 73% now see cyber attacks as one of the biggest risks facing UK consumers, with 82% saying companies must do more to protect their data.