British retailer Marks & Spencer has confirmed that it is under a cyberattack, nearly two weeks after the issue was first reported. The company said it was working day and night to resolve the problem, which has left it unable to process any online orders.

Luxury London department store Harrods has also become the latest target of a cyber threat, with the retailer confirming that it had restricted internet access across its sites as a precautionary measure. Co-op, another UK retailer, has also shut down some of its information technology systems following a hack, sparking concerns within the retail sector about the increasing risk of cyberattacks.

Experts believe that hackers are taking calculated risks by trying to replicate the actions of others to cause as much disruption as possible. According to reports, a hacking group known as Scattered Spider is said to be behind the M&S attack, although this has not been confirmed. It remains unclear if the three attacks are linked.

Marks & Spencer first reported the issue over the Easter weekend two weeks ago and has seen its operations impacted for more than a week. Initially, the company saw contactless payments and click and collect orders affected, though contactless has since been restored. Last Friday, it also said it would no longer be able to take orders through its website or app in order to deal with the problem.

The company, which has around 65,000 employees, has also been unable to hire new workers after pulling job postings from its website. London's Metropolitan Police force has launched an investigation into the attack on M&S.

M&S' latest update comes a day after Harrods said it had restricted internet access across its sites as a precautionary measure following an attempt to gain unauthorized access to its systems.

Cody Barrow, chief executive of cybersecurity experts EclecticIQ, says that the recent breaches at Co-op and M&S highlight an alarming trend. "The flurry of attacks showed cybercriminals are becoming bolder, exploiting weaknesses across complex, highly interconnected supply chains," he said.

Barrow notes that generative artificial intelligence is accelerating the threat landscape, and that firms and individuals have to stay on top of developments and shore up their defenses against cyberattacks. "These incidents should act as a wake-up call to all organizations," agency CEO Richard Horne said.

The U.K. National Cyber Security Centre is working with organizations affected by the recent cyberattacks and providing expert advice to others in the sector. "These incidents should act as a wake-up call to all organizations," agency CEO Richard Horne said.