WH Smith, the well-known retailer operating shops on high streets, airports, and railway stations, has recently announced that it has suffered a cyber attack.
The company confirmed that hackers had accessed some of its data, but they assured customers that their accounts and databases are not affected.
WH Smith immediately launched an investigation, notified the relevant authorities, and engaged specialist support services to handle the incident. The firm emphasizes that there will be no impact on its trading activities, and its website and customer accounts are on separate systems that remain unaffected by the breach.
Despite the incident, WH Smith is confident that it can still deliver quality services to its customers. According to Guy Golan, the CEO and co-founder of a cyber security firm called Performanta, major brands such as WH Smith should assume that they will be targeted by cyber-attacks and have a response plan in place.
Golan also stressed the importance of finding the origin of the attack and reducing its impact. Brands must communicate with the public every step of the way and respond appropriately to ensure that the incident does not escalate.
The recent cyber attack on WH Smith is just one of many that have affected businesses in recent months. Royal Mail’s international postal service suffered lengthy disruption after hackers targeted the group, while JD Sports also fell victim to unauthorized access to customer information. A Russia-linked hacking gang has claimed credit for the cyberattack that has crippled Royal Mail and is threatening to publish stolen data from the company online.
More about LockBit ransomware
LockBit surfaced towards the conclusion of 2019, initially identifying itself as “ABCD ransomware.” Subsequently, it experienced swift expansion. The collective operates as a “ransomware-as-a-service” initiative, which denotes a central team formulates the malware and maintains its website. They, in turn, grant licenses to “affiliates” who carry out the attacks.
As cybercrime becomes more common, businesses must take appropriate measures to safeguard their data and systems. More information on cyber attacks and how to prevent them can be found in our archives here.
