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Co-op CEO Confirms Massive Data Breach Affected All 6.5 Million Customers
July 16, 2025
The CEO of U.K. retail giant Co-op confirmed this week that a devastating cyberattack in April led to the theft of personal data belonging to all 6.5 million of its members.
Shirine Khoury-Haq, Co-op Group’s chief executive, revealed that hackers successfully accessed and copied the company’s full member list, which includes names, addresses, and contact details. However, the company managed to shut down its network in time to prevent the attackers from deploying ransomware that would have locked up critical systems.
Despite averting the worst-case scenario, the network shutdown triggered widespread internal disruptions across Co-op’s back offices and grocery stores in the U.K.
The April breach was part of a broader hacking campaign that targeted major British retailers. Marks & Spencer also reported a data theft, while Harrods reportedly thwarted a separate attempted cyberattack. These incidents have been linked to the hacker collective known as Scattered Spider — a group composed largely of young cybercriminals known for using social engineering to trick IT departments into granting them access.
Earlier this month, U.K. authorities arrested four individuals believed to be connected to the retail hacking spree. The suspects include a 20-year-old woman, two 19-year-old men, and a 17-year-old youth. They now face charges including unauthorized access, blackmail, and involvement in organized crime.
Following the retail sector attacks, the same hacker group is believed to have shifted its focus to other high-value industries such as airlines, transportation, and insurance — all of which hold vast stores of sensitive customer data.
It remains unclear what financial toll the breach will ultimately have on Co-op. Reports suggest that the company lacked cybersecurity insurance at the time of the incident, which could leave it exposed to significant financial losses in the months ahead.
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