Cyber attacks against Co-op’s computer system has led to ‘significant number of’ customers having their private data stolen – the retailer says hacking attempts were ongoing
A cyber-attack on Co-op has led to “significant number of” customers having their private data stolen.
The major supermarket said “malicious” hacking attempts were ongoing, and that it continues dealing with a “highly complex” situation. It comes after Co-op was forced to shut down part of its IT system on Wednesday following an attempted break-in by hackers, with business services for teams running stores, its legal services division and some stock monitoring systems. In a letter sent to staff, representatives of the firm said they had “pre-emptively withdrawn access to some systems for the moment” in order to “keep systems safe”.
The stolen data includes personal details including names, contact details and dates of birth – but it does not include bank or credit card details, transaction information or members’ passwords. Co-op has re-assured its customers that they’ve applied measures to “minimise disruption” for members, shoppers, colleagues and partners.
The retailer said in a statement: “We appreciate that our members have placed their trust in our Co-op when providing information to us. Protecting the security of our members’ and customers’ data is a priority, and we are very sorry that this situation has arisen.”
In an initial statement on Wednesday, a Co-op spokesperson said: “We have recently experienced attempts to gain unauthorised access to some of our systems. As a result, we have taken proactive steps to keep our systems safe, which has resulted in a small impact to some of our back office and call centre 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.”
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