UK Retailer Co-op Confirms Hack, Reports "Small Impact" to Its Systems

Just a few days after Marks & Spencer reported suffering from a major cyber-attack, another UK-based major retailer has confirmed an intrusion into its IT systems. The Co-operative Group (Co-op), the seventh-largest retailer in the UK with 5.2% market share, has revealed that it recently experienced attempts to gain unauthorized access to some of its systems.

According to reports in UK media, Co-op staff had been informed via an internal letter on April 30 that parts of the company's IT systems had been forced offline as a precautionary measure. This intrusion has led the Co-op to take proactive steps to keep its systems safe, resulting in a small impact to some of its back office and call centre services.

However, the Co-op has reassured customers and members that all stores, including quick commerce operations and funeral homes, are trading as usual. The company is not requesting any changes from its members or customers at this time, and employees are working hard to minimize disruptions to its services.

"We are working hard to reduce any disruption to our services and would like to thank our colleagues, members, partners and suppliers for their understanding during this period," said a Co-op spokesperson. "We will continue to provide updates as necessary."

Expert Analysis: A Shift Towards Containment Mindset

Raghu Nandakumara, Head of Industry Solutions at Illumio, has praised the Co-op for its response to the cyber-attack. "The Co-op's decision to proactively shut down parts of its IT systems following a cyber threat, whilst keeping essential business operations running, is a strong example of an effective containment strategy in action," he said.

Nandakumara highlighted that this approach reflects a shift towards a containment mindset: ensuring that even when under attack, essential services remain operational while the root cause is investigated and resolved. "Unlike many organizations, which are forced to halt operations entirely after attacks, the Co-op appears to have protected its most critical services and maintained business continuity," he noted.

Experts Warn of Systemic Vulnerabilities

Scott Dawson, CEO of DECTA, has pointed out that the Co-op's decision to shut down part of its IT system unfortunately also highlights the lack of cyber resilience in many organizations' IT systems. "This incident, coming on the heels of major breaches at Marks & Spencer and other high-profile targets, highlights how brittle legacy architectures and siloed security practices are, and no match for sophisticated threat actors," he said.

Dawson warned that this kind of vulnerability poses a significant risk to businesses, including retailers. "When a single intrusion forces entire back-office operations offline, every step from inventory management to customer service teeters on collapse," he noted. Dawson urged businesses to move from reactive patchwork to proactive resilience engineering architected into every layer of IT strategy.

"Only then can retailers protect revenue streams, reputations and the trust of the millions who rely on them," he said. "Retailers will continue to pay the price if they fail to prioritize cyber resilience."