Teens among four arrested in UK over cyber-attacks on Marks & Spencer, Co-op and Harrods
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Teens among four arrested in UK over cyber-attacks on Marks & Spencer, Co-op and Harrods")
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All four individuals were apprehended at their homes in the early hours of Thursday, and electronic devices were also seized by the police. The report confirmed that one of the suspects, a 19-year-old man, is from Latvia, and the rest of them are from the UK.
Four people have been arrested in the West Midlands, Staffordshire and London on Thursday as part of the cyber-attacks that have caused havoc at Marks & Spencer, Co-op and Harrods. The National Crime Agency confirmed that two 19-year-old men, a 17-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman, had been arrested on suspicion of breaching the Computer Misuse Act, money laundering, blackmail and joining the activities of organised crime.
Paul Foster, the head of the NCA’s national cybercrime unit, told the Guardian, “Since these attacks took place, specialist NCA cybercrime investigators have been working at pace and the investigation remains one of the agency’s highest priorities."
“Today’s arrests are a significant step in that investigation, but our work continues, alongside partners in the UK and overseas, to ensure those responsible are identified and brought to justice," he added.
According to a report in the BBC, all four individuals were apprehended at their homes in the early hours of Thursday, and the police also seized electronic devices. The report confirmed that one of the suspects, a 19-year-old man, is from Latvia, and the rest of them are from the UK.
How big a disruption was caused to Co-op and M&S?
The cyberattacks, which began in mid-April, have caused severe disruption to both retailers. Several Co-op shelves remained empty for weeks, while M&S has said the cyberattack will continue to disrupt its operations until late July, with some IT systems may not be able to be fully restored before October or November.
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M&S chairman told MPs this week that the cyberattack felt like a deliberate attempt to destroy the company, with the retailer estimating a £300 million hit to its profits. Harrods was also targeted but suffered less operational impact.
BBC disclosed that M&S was the first victim of the breach, during which hackers stole a large volume of sensitive data from both customers and staff. The attackers also used ransomware to cripple the company's IT systems, rendering them unusable unless a ransom was paid. The hackers sent a threatening and offensive email to the M&S CEO demanding payment. Days later, the Co-op was also hit, with criminals stealing the private data of millions of its customers and employees.
