Cyber ​​attack forces Spar stores to close Business

Supermarket chain Spar has been forced to close dozens of stores following a cyberattack.

The blackout, which first struck Sunday, left more than 300 stores unable to receive credit card payments or use email.

Many branches have been forced to close, although some sites have managed to stay open by accepting cash.

It was not clear if any customer data had been compromised.

The majority of Spar stores are franchised by different companies and span five main areas of the UK.

A spokesperson said only stores in the north of England, run by distribution partner James Hall & Company, were affected.

“We are working to resolve this situation as quickly as possible – [the issue is] not affecting Spar UK as a whole, ”he said.

Customers have complained on social media about the closures.

One of them tweeted: “Does anyone know what happened to Spar stores today? I am currently visiting a friend in Whitby and went there for some milk. Two Spar stores with closed gas stations. Saw an attendant who said the whole checkout system was down all day.

Spar was founded in the Netherlands in 1932 and is one of the largest food retailers in the world with over 13,000 stores in 48 countries.

It has over 2,500 stores in the UK which employ around 40,000 people and have annual sales of over £ 3 billion. James Hall & Company supplies products to nearly 600 Spar stores.

In October, Tesco’s website was taken offline after a hack attempt that prevented customers from placing orders.

A spokesperson for the Information Commissioner’s Office said: “We are aware of reports of an incident affecting the Spar stores and we will investigate.

Companies are required to notify ICO within 72 hours if they believe customer data is at risk.

A spokesperson for the National Cyber ​​Security Center said, “We are aware of an issue affecting Spar stores and are working with partners to fully understand the incident.”