WHSmith Cyber Attack

High-street retailer WHSmith has been the target of a cyber-attack with hackers accessing employee’s data.

The company filed a data breach notification with the London Stock Exchange and issued the following statement:

"WH Smith PLC has been the target of a cyber security incident which has resulted in illegal access to some company data, including current and former employee data."

“Upon becoming aware of the incident, we immediately launched an investigation, engaged specialist support services and implemented our incident response plans, which included notifying the relevant authorities.”

Over 12,500 current and former employees' information was exposed in the cyberattack, including sensitive information like names, addresses, dates of birth and national insurance numbers. The company did not believe that banking details were accessed.

WH Smith has promised to notify individuals who have been impacted by the incident directly. They also confirmed that measures will be implemented to support affected individuals.

The company has stated that customer data is safe because it is stored on separate systems.

The WH Smith data breach once again highlights the growing threat of cyberattacks and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. The incident also highlights the importance for companies to have an incident response plan in case of a cyber attack.

For help and advice on developing a suitable incident response process for your organisation contact Romano Security Consulting today.

Read more about our Incident Management Consultancy Services.