Famous British luxury department store warns customers about data breach

Harrods has alerted customers that some of their personal data may have been exposed following a breach at one of its third-party IT providers.

The luxury retailer explained that details such as names and contact information of certain online shoppers were accessed, but stressed that no passwords or payment information were compromised.

Harrods warns customers that some personal details taken in data breach

In an email sent to customers on Friday night, Harrods described the incident as an "isolated" case. In a statement, the store added: "The third party has confirmed this is an isolated incident which has been contained, and we are working closely with them to ensure that all appropriate actions are being taken. We have notified all relevant authorities."

A spokesperson confirmed Harrods’ own systems remain unaffected and clarified the breach is unrelated to a cyber incident in May, when the company limited internet access across its sites as a precaution after an attempted intrusion.

A loosely connected hacker group that took credit for that earlier attack also claimed responsibility for cyber incidents targeting Marks & Spencer and the Co-op earlier this year.

In July, the National Crime Agency arrested four people in connection with those hacks: a 20-year-old woman in Staffordshire and three young men, aged 17 to 19, in London and the West Midlands. They have since been released on bail.

Several other cyberattacks have targeted high-profile British businesses in recent months.

Last week, Jaguar Land Rover, Britain’s biggest automaker, said that its production lines will remain shut down until at least Oct. 1, after a cyberattack in August.

On Friday, the BBC and other British media reported that hackers stole information about thousands of children from Kido, a London nursery chain, and posted some of the children’s photos and details on the darknet.

The Metropolitan Police force said that inquiries about “a ransomware attack on a London-based organization” were ongoing and no arrests have been made.

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