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Marks & Spencer shuts down website due to technical glitch Marks & Spencer shuts down website due to technical glitch
(about 1 hour later)
Marks & Spencer has apologised after it was forced to suspend its website for two hours after customers were able to see other people’s details when they logged in to their accounts. Marks & Spencer has apologised for a data breach that forced it to suspend its website for two hours after customers were able to view other people’s personal details when logging into their accounts online.
The company said customers’ details had not been compromised by the internal technical problem on Tuesday night but apologised for the inconvenience. The retailer blamed a technical issue, and said it acted quickly to resolve the problem. It stressed that it was not hacked by a third party and that no one’s financial details were compromised.
Shoppers told of their shock when they logged in to their online accounts to see other people’s orders; some claimed they could see payment details. A spokesman said: “Due to a technical issue we temporarily suspended our website yesterday evening. This allowed us to thoroughly investigate and resolve the issue and quickly restore service for our customers. We apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused.”
She added that customers might have been able to see the last four digits of another person’s payment card “for a brief moment”, but as details were encrypted there was no security risk. “There were no financial details compromised at all,” she said. “We weren’t hacked by a third party. It was an internal technical problem.” The technical glitch comes just days after the phone and broadband provider Talk Talk admitted that it had been hacked. A 15-year-old boy has been arrested in Northern Ireland in connection with the cyber-attack. At the weekend, Talk Talk said the hack was not as bad as first thought and would not allow money to be taken from bank accounts.
Writing on the company’s Facebook page, Wendie Mitchell claimed she had been able to see two people’s accounts when she tried to buy a pair of jeans online. M&S customers posted messages on the high street chain’s Facebook page to alert it to the data breach. They said they were able to see past orders and personal information of other customers online when they logged on to register their new Sparks reward cards.
Another shopper said she saw other people’s information even when she logged out and in again. One customer, Russell Harding, wrote: “Well I tried to register my Sparks card but logged into my account and found another persons details, orders and personal information. This is more than a glitch in the system, this is totally reckless in light of the recent Talk Talk incident. What I want to know is who has my information and now what can they do with it.”
Mandy Green was among several consumers calling for the company to provide reassurance that their accounts had not been compromised. She wrote: “What reassurances are you offering to customers as I now feel that my details could be misused by anyone?” Several shoppers called on the company to provide reassurance that their details would not be misused.
An M&S spokeswoman said: “Due to a technical issue we temporarily suspended our website last night. This allowed us to thoroughly investigate and resolve the issue and quickly restore service for our customers. We apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused.” Becky Connor, another shopper, posted on the page: “I also registered my card tonight to find that I could see at least another three customers’ details. Their name, address, telephone number, date of birth and what they have previously ordered. Not very good M&S.” Another customer said she saw other people’s information even when she logged out and in again.
Some customers claimed they could see other people’s payment details. A spokeswoman said people might have been able to see the last four digits of another person’s payment card “for a brief moment”, but as details were encrypted there was no security risk.