Whistles has paused online orders after its parent company TFG London was hit by a cyber attack. TFG London apologised to customers this week after it confirmed it had been impacted by a “cybersecurity incident” on Sunday. The incident hit some IT systems, specifically those of its Phase Eight, Hobbs, and Whistles brands.
Online orders temporarily shut
Whistles has now updated its website and revealed it has temporarily shut orders, though customers can still purchase items in stores. In a message on the Whistles website, it says: “Online orders are paused. We're very sorry and are working hard to resolve this.”
The note goes on to say: “We’re sorry for the inconvenience and are working hard to resolve this as soon as possible. In the meantime, our store teams would love to welcome you.” The company says it is currently experiencing a high volume of customer enquiries. Phase Eight and Hobbs are both still taking online orders.
Investigation ongoing
TFG London is investigating the cyber incident and in a statement published on Tuesday, it said it had “no reason to believe that payment information is at risk”. Its other high street brands, including Inside Story and White Stuff, have not been affected.
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.”
Recent retail hacks
It comes after ASOS confirmed it had been the victim of a hack last week. ASOS customers received a notification saying that the retailer had been hacked, which claimed the data storage firm Snowflake had been compromised. The fast fashion retailer later confirmed that an “unauthorised party” had gained access to some personal data, including names and contact details.
