Victoria's Secret Takes Down US Website After 'Security Incident'

Victoria's Secret has taken down its US website and halted some in-store services following what it described as a "security incident". The lingerie firm, which operates around 1,350 retail stores across 70 countries, has been left reeling from the cyber attack, with its share price falling by approximately 7% on Wednesday. The company's UK website remains unaffected.

In a statement, Victoria's Secret detailed the action it had taken to address the issue. "We immediately enacted our response protocols, third-party experts are engaged, and we took down our website and some in-store services as a precaution," it said. However, the company has not provided any further details about the nature of the incident or confirmed when it began.

Customers have taken to social media to express their frustration with the impact of the incident, including one who wrote: "How can I check my order status when your page has been down for 2 days?! And no one answers the phone either!" The incident at Victoria's Secret comes as a number of major UK retailers have been hit by cyber attacks in recent weeks.

M&S, which was targeted by a similar type of ransomware attack, expects to pay around £300m to recover from the breach. The Co-op also experienced empty shelves and disrupted payments after it was hacked, with customer data stolen from both firms. Cyber criminals claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating that they had targeted the firms in order to extort payment.

The police have identified Scattered Spider, a group of suspected cyber thieves who are thought to be teenagers, as some of those responsible for the attacks. Online protection company McAfee has recommended that any affected customers take immediate action to protect themselves, including changing passwords and enabling two-factor authentication on accounts that support it.

"Even if you haven't received notification from the brand or retailer which has been impacted, assume your information may have been compromised if you've been a customer," said Vonny Gamot of McAfee. "Companies often take weeks to identify all affected individuals." As Victoria's Secret continues to work around the clock to fully restore its operations, customers are left waiting to see when they will be able to shop online again.

Stay Safe Online

If you have been a customer of one of the retailers that has been targeted by cyber attacks, it is essential to take immediate action to protect yourself. This includes changing your passwords and enabling two-factor authentication on accounts that support it. McAfee recommends that customers also monitor their bank statements for any suspicious activity.