In the high-stakes world of modern retail, businesses no longer trade solely in products – they trade in trust. And like a fine crystal vase balanced precariously on a shop shelf, that trust can shatter in an instant. Recently, we saw three retail giants, Harrods, Marks & Spencer, and the Co-op, fall victim to cyberattacks, shaking consumer confidence and underlining a hard truth: cybersecurity is no longer just a matter for technical teams. It is a business imperative.
These attacks were not just digital pranks or minor technical hiccups. They were serious, calculated incursions – ransomware incidents attributed to the Scattered Spider group – designed to manipulate human behavior and exploit systemic vulnerabilities. Social engineering was reportedly at the heart of the breaches, where help desk workers were tricked into handing over the keys to the kingdom. It’s the modern equivalent of a burglar sweet-talking their way past a doorman.
Chief IT Security Evangelist at ManageEngine.
This is the retail sector’s wake-up call. While e-commerce giants have long championed robust digital defenses, many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers have lagged in their cyber maturity. As digital transformation accelerates – with AI-driven shopping experiences, omnichannel platforms, and data-rich personalization – retailers must recognize that every point of innovation is also a potential point of intrusion.
So, what can retail leaders do to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals?
1. Treat cybersecurity as a strategic advantage, not just a safety net
Retailers need to move away from reactive firefighting and begin treating cybersecurity as a proactive, strategic function. This means going beyond patching vulnerabilities and installing antivirus software. It means integrating cybersecurity into the very fabric of business operations. Aligning security strategies with business goals to protect revenue, reputation, and customer loyalty.
Unified security platforms are a powerful way to achieve this. By converging identity governance, AI-powered analytics, and automated remediation tools, retailers can monitor, detect, and respond to threats before they metastasize. Like a well-drilled emergency response team, smart security architecture acts swiftly and decisively when something goes wrong.
2. Harden the human firewall
Let’s not forget that even the most advanced systems are still vulnerable to their weakest link: people. The recent attacks at M&S and Co-op illustrate this painfully well. Social engineering remains one of the most effective tools in a hacker’s arsenal, because it bypasses technology entirely by exploiting human behavior.
Retailers must prioritize cybersecurity awareness across all levels of their workforce. This includes regular training, red-team exercises, and simulated phishing campaigns that help employees recognize threats in real-world scenarios. Password reset processes, especially in IT help desks, must be re-evaluated to include stronger identity verification and limited privilege escalation.
3. Patch, update, repeat
It sounds simple, but too many breaches occur because of outdated systems and unpatched vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals count on organizations putting off software updates or neglecting legacy systems. Regular patch management and vulnerability scanning should be as routine as stocktaking in retail. Systems, applications, and devices must be continuously monitored to close doors before attackers can exploit them.
4. Segment your network like you would your shop floor
When a ransomware strain finds its way into a network, it spreads like a chain reaction that cracks the system wide open. That’s why network segmentation is critical. By dividing the IT infrastructure into isolated zones – much like separating back-of-house operations from customer areas – retailers can contain breaches, limit lateral movement, and buy precious time for incident response teams.
Moreover, robust incident response planning is a must. Security audits, breach simulations, and recovery drills should be a regular part of operations. Just as every store manager knows what to do during a fire drill, IT teams must be trained and ready to act at the first sign of a breach.
5. Rethink IT service management
Retail IT ecosystems are increasingly complex, spanning in-store POS systems, online portals, handheld devices, and backend logistics software. When something goes down, whether it’s a barcode scanner or an online checkout, the business feels it instantly. A modern, unified IT service desk is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s essential.
Efficient IT service management (ITSM) tools enable retail organizations to manage their tech assets, resolve incidents swiftly, and coordinate across departments like HR, finance, and logistics. Without such tools, IT teams are left firefighting, unable to see the bigger picture or plan effectively. And in the context of a cyberattack, that lack of visibility and coordination can prove fatal.
The new cost of doing business
Retailers are not just being asked to digitize their operations, they are being asked to secure them. Failing to do so doesn’t just mean downtime or inconvenience; it can mean financial loss, regulatory fines, and a broken bond with customers. M&S, for example, saw its valuation drop by hundreds of millions following its cyber incident. The price of inaction is high – and rising.
The truth is that cybercrime is now a cost of doing business. But like insurance or rent, it can be managed. The crystal vase of customer trust may be fragile – but with the right defenses, retailers can keep it safely on the shelf, even in the face of chaos.
We’ve featured the best CRM platform.
This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro’s Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro
