Now M&S is forced to stop taking online orders

Things just go from bad to worse for UK retailer M&S as it has now been forced to stop taking online orders.

The chain has been struggling to recover from a cyber attack that has disrupted contactless payments for the best part of a week.

Now it has tweeted…

An update from M&S pic.twitter.com/PSbIGHJtMY

— M&S (@marksandspencer) April 25, 2025

On Tuesday, M&S informed investors that it has engaged “external cyber security experts to assist with investigating and managing the incident” and is “taking actions to further protect our network and ensure we can continue to maintain customer service.”

The company has also reported the incident to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which confirmed it is “working with Marks and Spencer to support their response,” and the National Crime Agency, which is working with the NCSC to “better understand the incident and support the company.”

Says Nathaniel Jones, VP of Security & AI Strategy at Darktrace:

“M&S taking systems offline suggests this is likely a ransomware-related event. It demonstrates how quickly cyber incidents can cripple retail operations across both digital and physical channels and the suspension of online orders shows the cascading impact these attacks can have on revenue streams.

“Retailers are increasingly targeted because they combine valuable customer data with complex, interconnected systems. M&S should be in good hands with support from both NCSC and NCA. Their quick action to isolate affected systems shows appropriate crisis management, but this incident highlights why cybersecurity must be a fundamental business priority, not just an IT concern.”