Why Managed IT is no longer optional for your business

The alarming impact of recent Cyber‑Attacks on UK retail – and why Managed IT is no longer optional

In June 2025, the Cyber Monitoring Centre (CMC) delivered a stark warning: cyber-attacks targeting UK retailers in April may have cost the sector a staggering £270 million to £440 million . These attacks, notably against Marks & Spencer and the Co‑op, were classified as a “Category 2 systemic event” - the first real-world incident to receive such a designation from the CMC  .

What happened and why it matters

“Narrow but deep” strikes

The CMC describes these breaches as “narrow and deep”: focused on two major retailers and their supply chains, yet with enormous impact .

Disruption, not ransom, drove the costs

Though no ransom was confirmed, disruption to online systems was devastating. For M&S, online sales plunged to near zero, eating into over £1.3 million in daily revenue  . The CMC estimates indicate that most losses stemmed from business interruption—not recovery costs.

Wider ripple effects

The fallout wasn’t contained. Many suppliers, franchisees, and delivery partners also suffered disruption—a clear illustration of how one attack can cascade across an entire ecosystem  .

Deeper insights: Tactics and failures

Social engineering and help‑desk fraud

Investigations revealed attackers used social engineering to impersonate employees - convincing help‑desk staff to reset passwords, thereby gaining illicit internal access  . These aren’t high‑tech hacks—they exploit human trust.

No retailer is immune

Beyond M&S and Co‑op, Harrods, Dior, Cartier, and Adidas as well as smaller, independent retailers have all experienced breaches. Often it’s shared vulnerabilities or weak supplier links that are exploited .

Sector-wide complacency

Analysts point out retail’s over-reliance on legacy systems, siloed processes, and disconnected IT. Cyber risk is too often treated as an IT issue, not a business-critical concern .

Why Redloft’s approach wins

At Redloft Technology, we help organisations break out of this cycle of vulnerability with a robust managed‑IT strategy.

24/7 proactive monitoring

We rapidly detect anomalies or suspicious login attempts, including help‑desk abuse, giving you valuable early intervention time.

Comprehensive threat mitigation

We cover patching, vulnerability scans, up-to-date firewalls, anti-malware, and dark‑web credential monitoring - protecting every access point from phishing to mobile devices.

Interactive incident drills and staff training

Roughly 84% of breaches start with phishing . We run role-based simulations and workshops to improve your human firewall.

Board-level cyber governance

Cyber security is elevated to strategic oversight - just as the CMC and NCSC recommend. We integrate reporting into board dashboards, not just IT tickets.

Resilient backups and business continuity

Our air-gapped backup systems and tested recovery processes ensure quick restoration - even if data systems or online stores suffer disruption.

Transparent supplier oversight

We audit and standardise cyber controls for your supply and partner networks, so weak links are identified and secured proactively.

The real cost of doing nothing

Recent data from the likes of The CMC, Computing, and gov.uk shows:

• UK firms lost £44 billion in revenue from cyber-attacks over five years.

• Half of these businesses have been hit at least once .

• Businesses that act on basic cyber hygiene - patching, firewalls, staff training - can cut costs by up to 75%, saving millions over years .

Redloft delivers a fully managed, proactive IT and cyber-security service designed to move you from reactive to resilient - and save you real money while protecting your brand.

Your next move?

1. Read the original report - Discover the cost and nature of this retail attack.

2. Benchmark your cyber maturity – Compare your organisation against CMC/NCSC guidelines.

3. Book a free resilience review – We’ll assess everything from phishing readiness to recovery plans and show you how to prioritise investments.

The bottom line

Recent attacks on M&S, Co‑op and others are not anomalies, they’re warnings. Retail and consumer-facing businesses operate in a real‑time, data‑driven marketplace, and any disruption is visible, immediate and costly.

Proactive, managed cyber security is no longer optional. For a partnership that embeds resilience in every layer - from staff awareness to incident response - Redloft Technology is your trusted ally. We turn cyber risk into business strength.

We’re here to discuss your cyber security concerns. Contact us today.

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