Breaking News: UK’s Co-op Confirms Data Breach Affects 6.5 Million Customer Records

In an official statement to BBC News on Wednesday, Stephanie Chen, Chief Executive Officer of U.K. retail conglomerate The Co-op, disclosed that an unauthorized intrusion had occurred during the April cybersecurity incident, resulting in the theft of sensitive data belonging to all 6.5 million members.

Mrs. Khoury-Haq confirmed that the breach involved the unauthorized copying of the company’s member list, but assures that swift action was taken to prevent further system disruption by shutting down the network prior to any potential ransomware infiltration.

The compromised data encompasses essential personal details such as names, addresses, and contact information associated with Co-op members. This incident has reportedly triggered significant internal disruptions across various U.K. back offices and grocery stores belonging to the organization.

This cybersecurity incident forms part of a broader hacking campaign that also affected other prominent U.K. retailers like Marks & Spencer, where an unspecified quantity of customer data was stolen, and Harrods, which faced an attempted attack. The series of attacks have been linked to Scattered Spider, a collective of young hackers who employ deceptive tactics to infiltrate companies’ IT systems.

Earlier this July, British authorities apprehended four individuals suspected of involvement in the retail-targeted cyberattacks. These suspects include a 20-year-old woman, two men aged 19, and an adolescent aged 17. They are currently charged with various offenses including hacking, blackmail, and membership within an organized criminal group.

Since the occurrence of these cyberattacks, the perpetrators have reportedly shifted their focus towards targeting sectors that store large volumes of consumer data, including the airline and transportation industries, as well as insurance companies.

At present, it remains uncertain how much financial impact this breach will have on The Co-op. As per a retail industry news outlet, the company did not hold cybersecurity insurance at the time of the incident, which may result in substantial financial implications for the organization.