Marks & Spencer restores vital service for millions of customers

Marks & Spencer has restored its click-and-collect service for the first time following a severe cyber attack. The popular retail company faced significant distruption after being targeted by criminals in April. The store put a hold on online orders over the Easter weekend and was left with empty shelves across its stores.

Shoppers had to wait until June to use the M&S website again, while the return of M&S' click-and-collect took longer. The service allows customers to make purchases online and then pick then up in-store the next day. It relies on incorporating the retailer's online ordering platforms, payment systems, inventory management, and in-store logistics.

There's a chance that the cyber attack had affected these systems' operations and therefore, M&S wanted to ensure that they were running securely again before reopening the service to the customers.

The data attack is thought to have been carried out by hacking group DragonForce and ended up with the theft of many customers' details including, names, email addresses, postal addresses and dates of birth, reports Mail Online.

It also led to shelves being empty, after M&S shut down its inventory management systems to try and prevent further harm from the cyber criminals.

M&S revealed in May that the hack was caused by "human error" and would cost the firm around £300 million. Chief executive Stuart Machin said the hackers gained access to the company's IT systems through a third party.

He said: "We didn't leave the door open, this wasn't to do with under-investment. Everyone is vulnerable. For us, we were unlucky on this particular day through some human error."

Four people were arrested in connection with the attacks as well as seperate ones on the Co-op and Harrods. The arrests involved two British men aged 17 and 19, in West Midlands, and a 19-year-old Lativan and a 20-year old British woman from Staffordshire.

They are accused of multiple offences under the Computer Misuse Act, including blackmail, money laundering and involvement in organised crime. Officials also seized their electronic devices for digitial forensic analysis.

While M&S has said it is likely that its profits will go down by around £300 million as a result of the incident, the firm suggests that it could the reduce impact of the attack by as much as "half".

M&S chairman Archie Norman said that he hopes the company will be able to gain back some of its severe losses from insurance payouts.