Harrods says customers' data stolen in IT breach

Harrods says customers' data stolen in IT breach

Harrods, a prestigious luxury department store, has issued a warning to its customers regarding a potential breach of their personal data within their IT systems. The breach reportedly involved the unauthorized acquisition of names and contact details of certain online customers by a third-party provider. Despite this concerning revelation, Harrods made it clear that sensitive information such as passwords and payment details remained secure and were not compromised in the breach.

In an email sent to customers on a Friday evening, Harrods characterized the incident as an “isolated incident” and assured that necessary actions were being taken in collaboration with the third-party provider to address the breach. The store’s spokesperson emphasized that the store’s own system was unaffected by the breach and clarified that it was unrelated to a previous cyber attack in May, which prompted the store to limit internet access across its platforms as a precautionary measure following an attempted unauthorized access.

The cyber attack in May was claimed by a loosely affiliated group of hackers who also asserted responsibility for high-profile breaches on other retailers like Marks & Spencer and the Co-op earlier in the year. This series of attacks led to the arrest of four individuals by the National Crime Agency, including a 20-year-old woman from Staffordshire and three males between the ages of 17 and 19 from London and the West Midlands, who have all been released on bail since then.

In a separate instance, a different group of hackers claimed involvement in a cyber attack that caused disruptions in the global production lines of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) until recently. As cyber threats continue to evolve and impact individuals and organizations worldwide, Richard Horne, the Chief Executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, emphasized the need for increased vigilance and security measures to counter such attacks. According to Horne, cyber attackers are becoming more adept at inflicting real-world consequences, underscoring the importance of system protection for businesses of all sizes to safeguard themselves and their customers from potential breaches

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