Fraud Fears But No Breach Spike Expected This Festive Season

Analysis of ICO breach reports and industry research shows 1,381 incidents in UK retail/manufacturing (Q3 2024–Q2 2025) largely driven by brute-force, configuration errors, malware, phishing and ransomware; while seasonal peaks are minor overall, high-profile ransomware breaches (M&S, Co‑Op), holiday/weekend-timed attacks, widespread fake e‑commerce sites and increased payment fraud raise significant operational and consumer risks for retailers during the festive period.