Four individuals have been arrested in the UK following a series of high-profile cyber-attacks that targeted major retailers Marks & Spencer (M&S) and Co-op, as well as luxury department store Harrods. The National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed the arrests early Thursday, describing the operation as a “significant step” in an ongoing investigation into a wave of ransomware and data breach incidents that have caused widespread disruption and financial losses.
The suspects include a 17-year-old British male from the West Midlands, a 19-year-old British man from London, a 19-year-old Latvian man from the West Midlands, and a 20-year-old British woman from Staffordshire. All four were detained at their home addresses and remain in custody on suspicion of blackmail, money laundering, offences under the Computer Misuse Act, and participation in an organised crime group. Electronic devices were seized for forensic analysis.
The cyber-attacks, which began in mid-April, severely disrupted operations at M&S and Co-op. M&S was forced to suspend online operations for nearly seven weeks, resulting in an estimated £300 million loss in profits. The attack also compromised a significant amount of personal data belonging to customers and employees. Co-op experienced empty shelves for weeks and confirmed that personal data of millions of its members had been stolen. Harrods also faced an attempted breach but managed to minimise the impact by quickly severing internet access to its systems
Paul Foster, head of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit, stated:
“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.”
Juliette Hudon, CTO of cybersecurity firm CybaVerse, noted:
“The techniques these actors used are now widely known across the world and other criminals will be dabbling with them – hoping to see the same success. However, the news also sparks a wider concern. How can we stop teenagers turning to cyber crime and instead use their computing skills for good? As an industry, we must do more to lead the younger generation down the right path.”
M&S chairman Archie Norman told MPs:
“The breach felt like an attempt to dismantle the business,” and confirmed the company had been in contact with the US FBI regarding the incident. He also called for mandatory reporting of major cyber-attacks by UK businesses, highlighting that two other large companies had recently been affected by unreported attacks.
