M&S boss issues update on when online orders will fully return after cyber attack

The boss of Marks and Spencer has confirmed the rest of its online operations will reopen by next month. The supermarket started resuming online orders last month but some services are still not back to normal.

For example, you still cannot place an order for click and collect or next day delivery. M&S is also still is not delivering to Northern Ireland. Stuart Machin, CEO of M&S, expects these services to be fully restored from August.

Speaking to shareholders at the retailer's annual general meeting, he said: "I'm really hoping by August, the majority of this is behind us, and customers will see the full M&S."

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M&S was forced to shut down its online store after falling victim to a cyber attack during Easter weekend. This affected contactless payments in stores, as well as click and collect orders, and it was later confirmed that customer data was stolen.

The company has confirmed that the type of data stolen could include names, email addresses, addresses and dates of birth - but it does not include card or payment details.

M&S has advised shoppers to take extra caution if they are contacted by someone who claims to be from M&S.

In an email to shoppers shortly after the cyber attack, Jayne Wall, operations director at M&S, said: "You do not need to take any action, but you might receive emails, calls or texts claiming to be from M&S when they are not, so do be cautious.

"Remember that we will never contact you and ask you to provide us with personal account information, like usernames, and we will never ask you to give us your password."

The cyber attack is expected to cost the company around £300million. Mr Machin previously revealed “human error” from outside the firm allowed hackers to breach its security.

He declined to go into detail, but said it involved a “third party”. He added: “This incident is a bump in the road, and we will come out of this in better shape.”

M&S annual profits - before the attack emerged - jumped by more than a fifth to £875.5million, its highest in over 15 years, thanks to its turnaround programme.

M&S is among a wave of companies struck by ransomware - a form of malicious software designed to burrow into companies’ systems, steal commercially sensitive information, which is then locked, with crooks demanding their victims pay money before handing them the key. The Co-op and Harrods have also been hit recently.