Summary
Marks & Spencer (M&S), a big store that sells food and clothes, has stopped taking orders online because they were hit by a cyber attack. This means some bad guys used computers to mess with their system. To make things right, M&S is refunding orders placed on Friday.
Key Facts
- Marks & Spencer (M&S) has paused all online orders because of a cyber attack. A cyber attack is when bad guys use computers to harm or disturb a computer system.
- The cyber attack began last weekend and M&S confirmed it on Tuesday.
- All types of orders, including food deliveries and clothes, are paused.
- The shares (or, pieces of ownership in M&S that people buy to make money) fell by 5% after they told people about the cyber attack.
- Stores remain open, but problems include issues with contactless payments, using gift cards, and their service 'Click & Collect', which lets people order online and pick up in store.
- M&S said gift cards and credit receipts can't be used as a payment method right now.
- A company called Ocado that sells M&S food through its own website does not have these problems because it uses different computer systems.
- M&S has reported the incident to places that help with cyber security and crimes.
- The cyber attack has made people wonder what caused it and how it might impact the business.
