M&S suspends new hires as it responds to cyber attacks

Marks & Spencer paused its recruitment efforts as it battled a serious cyber attack.

Over the Easter weekend, an attack on the retailer affected online orders and food delivery. Many stores also had empty shelves.

While it tries to fix the problem, the company has removed all job ads from its website.

The careers website states: “We’re working to get back online soon.”

M&S issued a statement on Sky News saying: “While we manage the cyber-incident proactively, we temporarily pause some of our regular processes to continue working hard to offer the best M&S to our customers and our colleagues. The job adverts will return in due time.”

Similar attacks have affected Co-op, Harrods and other retailers.

Harrods said it has limited internet access on its sites while it addresses the threat. Co-op has “preemptively” withdrawn some access to systems. An email sent to employees stated that workers should keep their cameras on when Teams meetings are taking place to identify all attendees.

The National Cyber Security Centre warned retailers to be alert in light of these attacks.

M&S employees have shared stories on forums of customer abuse, some claiming it was the “toughest” week they’ve ever experienced.

One employee said, “We know how frustrating this is because it affects our ability to perform our job and it has a huge impact on us.”

CyberArk conducted a survey and found that 71% of UK employees have been victims of a cyberattack. Only 25% of UK workers are concerned about their work account being compromised.

The research shows that there is a disconnect between what UK workers are trying to protect themselves against and what they should actually be focused on.

Cyber criminals are interested in accessing corporate data, not financial fraud. They are also more likely to use weak or reused passwords, and personal devices for work-related apps and information.

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