Cyberattack prompts shutdown of certain Co-op IT systems

Major UK retailer The Co-operative Group, or Co-op, had some of its IT systems taken down following an attempted infiltration in a cyberattack just days after leading UK multinational food and clothing retailer Marks & Spencer was subjected to a suspected Scattered Spider hack, according to Infosecurity Magazine. Operations of all Co-op stores continued amid the intrusion, which has only minimally affected certain back office and call center services, said a Co-op spokesperson. Such a response by Co-op to the cyber incident was regarded by Illumio Head of Industry Solutions Raghu Nandakumara to be an "effective containment strategy." However, the IT network takedown was also indicative of inadequate cyber resilience across IT systems, said DECTA CEO Scott Dawson. "When a single intrusion forces entire back-office operations offline, every step from inventory management to customer service teeters on collapse," noted Dawson, who urged retailers to implement "proactive resilience engineering" across their IT strategy.