M&S hackers sent abuse and ransom demand directly to chief executive
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M&S CEO contacted directly by hackers in ransom demand
- Marks & Spencer CEO Stuart Machin received an abusive email the hacker group DragonForce on 23 April from, claiming responsibility for a cyberattack and demanding ransom.
- The email, sent from a hacked M&S employee's account, included boasts of encrypting M&S servers and stealing customer data, along with a racist term.
- M&S informed customers three weeks later that their data may have been stolen in the cyberattack.
- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), an IT provider for M&S, denied the email originated from its systems, suggesting one of its employees who had an M&S email address was also hacked.
- M&S anticipates the cyberattack will disrupt operations into July, resulting in an estimated £300 million hit to profits this year.