Not too long ago, a spate of high-profile, malicious cyberattacks on the retail sector has thrust the dangers of a breach into the highlight as soon as extra.
In April, Co-op disabled its IT techniques to forestall attackers from putting in malware. Since then, the corporate has confronted issues with ordering and inventory administration, though spokespeople say they averted the worst outcomes of the breach.
Attackers hit fellow retailer M&S even harder. M&S stopped accepting online orders, leaving shelves bare, following a successful cyberattack. The company is still navigating the aftermath of the breach, estimating business operations won’t return to normal for months.
The common thread between these high-profile retail breaches? Attackers used employee data to execute SIM swaps and gain system entry—a tactic that’s growing in popularity at an alarming rate.
SIM swapping entails attackers utilizing stolen private data to impersonate people and contacting their cellular carriers, fraudulently claiming to wish a brand new SIM card as a result of loss or injury.
In the event that they’re profitable, the cellular service then transfers the sufferer’s cellular quantity to the brand new SIM card and delivers it to the attacker, permitting the attacker to bypass two-factor authentication and acquire entry to the sufferer’s accounts.
The Nationwide Fraud Database studies a 1,055% enhance in SIM swapping assaults in 2024. Unsurprisingly, SIM swapping falls underneath the “identity-based” assault umbrella, which is persistently the biggest menace organizations face year-over-year, accounting for 66.2% of all safety incidents amongst Expel clients in Q1 2025 alone.
With M&S confirming that human error prompted the fallout, it is clear attackers proceed to take advantage of human—and credential-based vulnerabilities—leaving organizations in danger for doubtlessly catastrophic monetary and reputational loss.
The rise of vulnerabilities in internet-facing network appliances
Out of the threats Expel observed in Q1 this year, 20.9% were non-targeted malware attacks—many of which were delivered through misconfigured or exposed appliances, such as firewalls and VPNs.
Exploited home equipment are probably used as broad entry factors, not simply in focused assaults, but additionally by means of mass scanning and opportunistic exploitation of widespread misconfigurations or vulnerabilities. These home equipment usually create a protecting barrier for techniques, however can present a springboard for attackers when compromised.
Elsewhere, ClickFix methods—the place attackers manipulate customers into executing malicious code by way of pretend update-prompting pop-ups—contributed to 51% of all malware incidents and 78% of all infostealer malware incidents that we noticed in Q1 this yr. This contains the likes of CAPTCHA and QR codes, which trick customers into infecting their very own computers.
The elevated use of those methods reveals how comparatively straightforward susceptible endpoints might be turned towards a company. Even seemingly small person interactions, or passing equipment misuses, may end up in code execution, turning protecting techniques like VPNs and firewalls into liabilities.
Enhancing security hygiene and reducing risks
Robust security hygiene is significant for safeguarding vital techniques, because it solely takes one lapse to create vital entry factors for menace actors.
Repeatedly updating techniques and emphasizing safety hygiene amongst workers can cut back publicity to threats. For instance, organizations ought to implement using the best password managers for all workers, together with contractors or freelancers. Exercising safety finest practices helps be sure that the org isn’t a straightforward goal for attackers, and will even encourage them to maneuver on to completely different targets.
Companies also can think about using managed detection and response (MDR) providers to make sure that threats might be recognized, prioritized and resolved effectively, while any suspicious exercise might be noticed, flagged and handled. It’s now extra a matter of when, not if, attackers get in, and being able to determine and neutralize threats shortly is vital for minimizing enterprise disruption.
That is so true that after I was at Microsoft, we had a mantra in every little thing we did in cyber. “Assume breach. Design your atmosphere with the idea that attackers will succeed.” This adjustments the angle of cybersecurity fully.
To remain forward of threats, it’s crucial that safety and IT management units apart time to run tabletop simulations of real-world cyber incidents, bringing key stakeholders throughout the enterprise—suppose CFOs, communications managers, CEOs— come collectively to observe incident response in a collaborative method.
This focuses on decision-making and processes, and checks a company’s response plan by figuring out gaps, reinforcing group roles and enhancing communication. These workouts assist a company construct and develop its personal incident response muscle, serving to tame the extreme stress that may be seen throughout an precise cyber incident.
Why businesses need a cybersecurity playbook
Regardless of the layered protection organizations put in place, the ever-increasing threat of credential-based attacks means that a cyberattack can—and most likely will—still occur.
Therefore having concrete and stress-tested plans for incident response in place is pivotal. This means having visibility into the affected systems, and the ability to both contain and mitigate successful attacks.
These recent incidents are a reminder of the potentially devastating, long-term business impacts that result from successful attacks.
M&S, for example, estimated that its loss of profits from this security incident would total approximately £300 million once it fully restores its services.
Co-op reacted quickly, taking its IT systems offline when its security team detected attackers in their system. As a result, Co-op is reportedly recovering faster than M&S, proving that a proactive, coordinated, and predetermined security plan can save companies millions.
These recent examples of UK retailers emphasize the pressing need for organizations to be prepared for abnormal access behaviors and credential misuse.
Act now, save later
The data shows that attackers are targeting identity tools, exploiting misconfigured systems, and using automation to scale their attacks. In a new age of cyber threats, reactive security is no longer viable.
Businesses must ensure that their networks are protected, maintained, and consistently patched to quell the rise of cyberattacks before they get worse. It’s time businesses treat network security as a strategic and operational priority, not simply an exercise in compliance.
We list the best online cybersecurity courses.
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