M&S cyber attack deepens as tech partner TCS denies blame
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the tech firm at the centre of speculation around the M&S cyber attack, has claimed that none of its systems or users were compromised in the incident.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the tech firm at the centre of speculation around the M&S cyber attack, has claimed that none of its systems or users were compromised in the incident.
The statement, delivered at the company’s annual shareholder meeting, is the first public comment from the group since M&S was hit by a major cyber attack over the Easter bank holiday weekend.
“As no TCS systems or users were compromised, none of our other customers are impacted,” independent director Keki Mistry said, according to Reuters.
The comment follows weeks of silence from the IT giant, which has been M&S’ “principal technology partner” for over a decade and was reportedly conducting an internal probe into whether it was used as a gateway by attackers.
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M&S was forced to shut down its ecommerce operations in the wake of the attack, with online orders only resuming earlier this month. It estimates the fallout could cost the business up to £300m in group operating profit this year, though half of that is expected to be mitigated through insurance and cost controls.
The high street giant confirmed that hackers had accessed customer data, including addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth. However, no passwords or payment details were affected.
It was later revealed that the DragonForce hacking collective had contacted M&S chief executive Stuart Machin in a taunting email demanding payment — although the retailer has not confirmed whether any ransom was paid.
Machin previously said the attack stemmed from “human error” involving staff at a third-party contractor but declined to comment on whether TCS had been the entry point.
In 2023, TCS secured a $1bn contract to overhaul M&S’ tech infrastructure, including Sparks — its loyalty programme — and online operations.
TCS also provides tech services to Co-op, which suffered its own cyber attack in early May. However, the firm is not believed to be investigating any connection between the two incidents.
M&S continues to restore more services to its website, with plans to expand delivery options and product ranges in the coming weeks.
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