The Works hit by cyber security incident
The Works multichannel value retailer of arts, crafts, toys, books and stationery has confirmed it has suffered a cyber security incident involving unauthorised access to its computer systems.
This has led to what the retailer described as some limited disruption to trading and business operations, including the closure of some stores due to till issues.
Replenishment deliveries to The Works stores had to be suspended temporarily and the retailer was also forced to extend the normal delivery window for online orders. However, it is now expecting store deliveries to resume imminently and normal online service levels are progressively being reintroduced.
The Works said there has been no risk to customers’ payment data as all debit and credit card payment data are processed outside its systems, via accredited third-party networks.
Since being alerted to the incident by the operation of its security firewall, the retailer has taken several actions to protect the business and its customers. It has also appointed external forensic cyber security experts whose investigations and recovery work are ongoing.
The Works said it has not yet been possible to establish the full extent to which any other data may have been affected, so it has informed the Information Commissioner’s Office of the incident as a precautionary measure.
