Harrods, iconic department store, latest British retailer hit by cyberattack
LONDON — Harrods, the iconic luxury department store, has become the latest British retailer to fall victim to a cyberattack. The hack targeted the London-based retail giant, raising concerns over the vulnerability of high-end businesses to online security breaches.
Details of the cyberattack remain unclear, but some customers have reported being unable to complete purchases. The Qatar-owned department store said it was forced to temporarily shut down some systems after realizing it was being targeted earlier this week.
Harrods added that customer payment data was not compromised during the attempted breach. In a statement the store said, “we recently experienced attempts to gain unauthorised access to some of our systems. Our seasoned IT security team immediately took proactive steps to keep systems safe and as a result we have restricted internet access at our sites today.”
This hacking attempt follows shortly after two other major British retailers — Marks & Spencer and Co-op — were targeted in online breaches. Both retailers have lost millions after they were forced to shut down parts of their IT systems to protect themselves from further attacks. Marks & Spencers has been unable to complete online orders since last Friday.
It’s still unclear whether the three cyber attacks are connected.
4 astronauts splashdown on SpaceX capsule to end Axiom Space’s private Ax-4 mission
The private crew included Ax-4 mission commander and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. It was her fifth trip to space and extended her record-setting duration to 695 days, the most of any American.
Heavy rains and flash flooding sweep across Northeast
Flash flood watches and warnings were in place in parts of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and surrounding areas as downpours moved through the region.
Will Congress cut funds to NPR/PBS and foreign aid this week?
The Trump Administration has asked Congress to rescind funds for NPR/PBS and Foreign aid. Congress has until the end of the week to approve the cuts.
Power prices are expected to soar under new tax cut and spending law
In states without policies to drive renewable energy, power prices could surge as federal tax incentives for clean energy disappear, according to Energy Innovation, a think tank.
This family wants to have more babies, but not in a hospital
The Trump administration is encouraging people to have more children, with baby bonuses and tax breaks. But some families who are practicing pronatalism want alternatives to hospital births.
Republicans renew a bid to remove noncitizens from the census tally behind voting maps
GOP lawmakers are trying again to exclude millions of non-U.S. citizens living in the states from census counts that the 14th Amendment says must include the "whole number of persons in each state."