Marks and Spencer Group PLC (LSE:MKS) CEO Stuart Machin was directly targeted and taunted by cyber criminals during the retailer’s recent cyberattack, according to a BBC report.
Ransomware hackers, who called themselves DragonForce, sent an abusive ransom email from a hijacked employee account, the new report details, with the rogue boffins boasting that they’d encrypted M&S’s servers and were stealing data belonging to millions of customers.
The hackers were said to be potentially affiliated with ‘Scattered Spider’, described as a loosely organised group of young Western cybercriminals, which also claims responsibility for an ongoing cyberattack on another UK grocer and retailer, Co-op.
Disruptions from both attacks have left some Co-op shelves empty and M&S operations are reportedly impacted until at least July.
Marks & Spencer's results revealed Stuart Machin saw a 39% pay boost, with his remuneration rising to £7.1 million in the last financial year, thanks to bonuses.
Marks and Spencer shares are down 2.2% for the past week, and are priced at 363.7p this morning.