The owner of Hobbs has apologised after a cyber attack hit three of its fashion brands. South African retail group The Foschini Group (TFG) said it became aware of the “cybersecurity incident” on Sunday, October 11.
Three brands affected
Three brands from its UK subsidiary TFG London were affected, with “certain IT systems impacted”. Hobbs, Whistles and Phase Eight were specifically targeted in the attack. However, the retail group said there is “no reason to believe that payment information is at risk”, reports PA.
The firm also owns Inside Story and White Stuff, both of which have not been impacted by the cyber attack. TFG said it had reported the incident to the relevant UK authorities, while also confirming its Africa and Australia subsidiaries were not affected.
Customer orders and returns
Customers who placed an order with Phase Eight, Hobbs or Whistles before Sunday were told their purchase would be processed and delivered as normal. TFG London said there could be delays in orders placed after Sunday, but added there was no need to resubmit anything.
The subsidiary said returns could be made in stores, adding it was working on a solution for postal returns and would keep customers informed.
TFG London said: “On Sunday, 11 October, TFG London identified a cybersecurity incident affecting some of our IT systems, specifically impacting our Phase Eight, Hobbs, and Whistles brands.
“We are actively investigating and working with external cyber security specialists. Stores are open as normal but some of our brand’s website capabilities may not be available as the investigation continues.
“We apologise for any disruption and will provide additional updates to our customers as appropriate.”
Other recent retail cyber attacks
It comes just a week after ASOS was also the victim of a major cyber attack. The fast-fashion giant said an “unauthorised party” had gained access to some personal data, including names and contact details.
Customers with an ASOS account received a broadcast alert that read: “Dear Asos DPO and IT, we have fully compromised the Snowflake instance. Engage with us, or we will leak it.”
The notification included a link that individuals online have warned against visiting. Snowflake later said the breach was not caused by a vulnerability or flaw with its platform.
Meanwhile, it was also reported that H&M was investigating claims it was targeted by a cyber criminal last week. The Swedish fashion giant said it was looking into a potential cybersecurity incident made by a group called Shinyhunters, The Times reported.
This isn't the first time that retailers on the UK high street have been the victim of cyber security attacks. Last year, M&S was at the heart of a massive incident that resulted in a multi-million pound class-action lawsuit.
The high street giant closed down its website for a short amount of time and was forced to admit that hackers had gained access to some personal information, although any payment details were said to be safe.
A group known as Scattered Spider, the notorious team behind the hacking of casino giant MGM in 2023, was attributed to the attack. Ransomware group DragonForce was also said to have affiliates responsible.
