The North Face and Cartier latest to report being hit by cyber attacks

Outdoor clothing brand The North Face and luxury jeweller Cartier have become the latest high-profile retailers to report having customer data stolen in cyber attacks.

The North Face reportedly emailed some customers in April to tell them it had discovered a "small-scale" attack, while Cartier said that "an unauthorised party had gained temporary access" to its system, according to BBC News.

The Cartier data breach was a hack where attackers "obtained limited client information", according to an email sent to its customers.

Both The North Face and Cartier said financial information was not compromised, despite customers’ names and email addresses being taken.

Last week, Adidas joined the list of brands being hit by a cyber attack in which customers' personal information has been stolen, though again it stressed that passwords and credit card and other payment data were not compromised.

Additionally, last Thursday, lingerie brand Victoria's Secret took down its US website and halted some in-store services following what it described as a "security incident".

The news also comes following a recent spate of cyber attacks on retailers including M&S, Co-op and Harrods.
Shoppers reported being unable to use contact payments or click and collect services at M&S over the Easter weekend. Then, on 13 May, the retailer confirmed that personal customer data had been stolen as part of the cyber attack.

However, M&S stressed that the data did not include payment or card details, or account passwords, and was not believed to have been shared online.

M&S has said that the knock-on effect of the attack means its services will continue to be disrupted until July, estimating it will reduce its profits for the current year by as much as £300 million.

On 30 April, Co-op also fell victim to a cyber attack and is continuing to deal with the fallout. That was swiftly followed by a cyber attack attempt on Harrods on 1 May, however, the department store’s IT security team "immediately took proactive steps to keep systems safe".

In the wake of all the attacks, new data from global research and insights agency, Opinium, last week revealed that 66% of UK consumers now intend to change their online shopping habits and rethink how and where they shop online.

Of 2,000 UK adults surveyed, almost a quarter of consumers (23%) 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, nearly three-quarters (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.

On 7 May, the government revealed plans to increase cybersecurity. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, told tech experts and business chiefs that cyber security is "not a luxury but an absolute necessity", as he announced a £16 million package to boost defence at home and abroad.