Staff at some Marks and Spencer (M&S) stores in Hong Kong have been using pen and paper to process details of orders for several days amid a cyberattack disclosed by M&S UK last week. The retailer’s Hong Kong app has also been suspended.
“We are currently experiencing some technical issues, some systems are offline in a small number of stores, including the M&S HK app,” a spokesperson told HKFP by email on Wednesday. “We are working hard to restore normal services as swiftly as possible, and we apologise for any disruption [to] our customers.”
M&S UK is reportedly being targeted by a ransomware gang that steals confidential data and scrambles it in the hope of extorting a ransom. According to the BBC, a loosely run group called Scattered Spider is using malicious software from a gang called DragonForce.
Hong Kong stores are operated by franchisee Al Futtaim. It is unclear how directly local systems are affected by the UK turmoil.
A staffer at the Kennedy Town branch told HKFP on Tuesday that their computer system had been down since Sunday. When HKFP visited the store, staff were using pen and paper to note down order and loyalty card details.
Those who log into the app are greeted with an “under maintenance” notice.
The cyberattack has affected supply chains in the UK, leading to empty shelves at some British stores.
The retailer said it hoped the issue would be resolved by the end of the week.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data told HKFP that M&S Hong Kong had not reported an incident to them, but it would contact them.
