M&S cyber incident 'linked to gang of teenage hackers'

A cyber incident on Marks & Spencer that has forced it to suspend online sales has been linked to a notorious teenage hacking gang.

Experts helping the retail giant manage the aftermath of the incident believe the breach may involve a group called Scattered Spider - a network of cybercriminals, reportedly including teenagers from both the UK and the US, according to The Telegraph.

Technology industry title Bleeping Computer first linked the hacking group to a potential ransomware attack against the retailer, which is understood to have locked down many of the company’s systems.

It comes after the cyber attack has led to more than a week of turmoil for the British retailer. Most recently, some Marks & Spencer stores have been left with empty shelves as the high street chain continues to be disrupted by the fallout of the incident.

The department store confirmed it has "pockets of limited availability" in some of its stores and said it is "working hard" to get availability back to normal.

A spokeswoman for M&S said: "As part of our proactive management of the incident, we took a decision to take some of our systems temporarily offline.

"As a result, we currently have pockets of limited availability in some stores.

"We are working hard to get availability back to normal across the estate."

Marks & Spencer has been seeking to grapple with the impact of the major "cyber incident" for more than a week. The incident first caused problems for the company's contactless payments and click and collect orders.

Last Friday, it paused orders through its website and app, which have remained down as it tries to resolve the problem.

On Monday, M&S told agency staff at a key logistics site to stay at home due to the continued disruption.

It confirmed that agency staff at its Castle Donington clothing and homewares logistics centre in the East Midlands were told not to come in.