The UK government is set to issue a strong warning to businesses next week, urging them to treat cyber security as an “absolute priority” following recent cyberattacks on major retailers

including Marks & Spencer, the Co-op Group, and Harrods.

Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden led a security briefing on Friday with national security officials and Richard Horne, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), to discuss the support being provided to the affected firms, according to a statement from his office.

McFadden is expected to use his upcoming speech at the CyberUK conference in Manchester to describe the recent incidents as a “wake-up call” for businesses across the country. He will also highlight the government’s efforts to strengthen national cyber defences, including the introduction of the new Cyber Security Bill.

“In a world where cybercriminals are relentlessly pursuing profit—launching attacks every hour of every day—businesses must treat cyber security as an absolute priority,” McFadden will say.

According to technology news outlet BleepingComputer, the attack on Marks & Spencer’s servers is believed to have been a ransomware operation carried out by a hacking group known as “Scattered Spider.”

In recent years, British companies, public institutions, and other organizations have suffered a wave of cyberattacks, resulting in tens of millions of pounds in losses and prolonged operational disruption. Photo by Ecole polytechnique, Wikimedia commons.