British govt agents step in as Harrods becomes third mega retailer under cyberattack

Harrods, Marks & Spencer and the Co‑op have each reported attempts to gain unauthorized access to systems, leading to restricted internet/VPN access and partial service outages; the UK NCSC is assisting the affected retailers. Rumors link the incidents to ransomware groups/actors (Scattered Spider, DragonForce), but no group has been officially attributed and no public ransom or leak has been confirmed. Retail operations remain largely open, though some services (online ordering, Click & Collect, back-office/call-centre functions) have been disrupted; organizations have been urged to harden defences ahead of a long weekend.