M&S Data Breach

KP Law is now taking on claims from individuals whose data was compromised in the M&S cyber attack. Under UK data protection laws, organisations that fail to adequately protect your information can be held legally responsible.

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Case overview:

The M&S Data Breach

In April 2025, Marks & Spencer (M&S) was the target of a significant cyber attack. The breach disrupted online orders, impacted in-store contactless payments, and led to the unauthorised access of sensitive customer information.

While M&S has stated that no payment card details or passwords were stolen, other personal information was compromised

What you need to know

April 2025, Marks & Spencer (M&S) suffered a major ransomware and cyber attack linked to the Scattered Spider/DragonForce groups. The breach compromised personal customer data while forcing a multi-week shutdown of online ordering and stock systems. M&S confirmed that no financial card details or account passwords were stolen.

The following customer data may have been affected:

  • Full name
  • Date of birth
  • Home address
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Online order details
  • Masked payment card details

M&S reported the breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office and continues to work with the National Cyber Security Centre to investigate.

KP Law specialises in complex, multi-claimant litigation. We investigate the underlying circumstances of each case, assess the available evidence and work with leading legal and technical experts where appropriate.

For data breach claims, this can include examining:

  • What information was accessed or compromised
  • How the breach occurred
  • The security measures in place before the incident
  • Whether applicable data protection obligations were complied with
  • The impact of the breach on affected individuals
  • The evidence required to establish liability and loss

Where appropriate, we coordinate claims collectively so that common legal and factual issues can be considered efficiently, while ensuring that individual circumstances are taken into account.

Thousands of individuals may have been affected where personal information held through their M&S account was accessed without authorisation.

If you received a breach notification or you believe you were affected by the M&S data breach, KP Law can provide further information about the investigation and the potential claim.

Exposed personal information from data breach incidents increases the risk of identity theft and phishing emails and scams.

Under GDPR, companies that gather or hold personal data have a responsibility to their customers to protect that information from unauthorised third parties. Group litigation can ensure consumers are adequately compensated for the damages caused, and that corporates should be held accountable for data privacy breaches.

What our data breach lawyers say:

“Data breach claims play an important role in holding organisations accountable when personal information is not adequately protected. Our team combines data protection expertise with experience of complex group actions to investigate breaches and pursue appropriate remedies.”

Kingsley Hayes | Partner & Head of Data & Privacy Litigation

M&S data breach timeline
22 Mar 2025
22 Mar 2025
Cyber Attack

M&S systems are targeted in a cyber attack, leading to major service disruption.

25 Apr 2025
25 Apr 2025
Online Orders

Online orders are suspended as M&S investigates the breach.

13 May 2025
13 May 2025
Confirmation

M&S confirms that customer data was stolen. The Information Commissioner’s Office is notified.

15 May 2025
15 May 2025
Group action

KP Law begins taking registrations for a group legal action.

Why choose KP Law to represent you in this data breach?

At KP Law, we represent clients in group actions with the innovation, resources and expertise needed to take on complex cases. Our GDPR, data breach and cybercrime specialists have more than 50 years of combined experience, making us one of the most experienced multi-claimant law firms in the UK. Working alongside leading barristers and legal experts, we provide the highest standard of support while leveraging the resources and global expertise required to pursue challenging claims successfully. With offices in London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham, supported by technology that enables us to serve clients across England and Wales, we combine national reach with a modern, client-focused approach. By using innovative technology, operating on a no-win, no-fee basis, and keeping the process straightforward and hassle-free, we make accessing expert legal representation as simple as possible.

FAQs for the M&S data breach

In April 2025 M&S was victim to a cyber incident that caused severe disruption to its operations, and included a substantial amount of sensitive customer data falling into the hands of cyber criminals.  

M&S confirmed that the information accessed included customers names, dates of birth and online order history. The breach did not include passwords or usable payment information.

M&S Operations Director Jayne Wall released the following message to customers in the wake of the cyber attack:

“Dear customer, 

I’m Jayne Wall, and I look after Customer Service here at M&S. I am sure that you will have seen in the news that we have been dealing with a cyber incident and I wanted to write to you about what this means for you. 

What has happened?

To proactively manage the incident, we immediately took steps to protect our systems and engaged leading cyber security experts. We also reported the incident to relevant government authorities and law enforcement, who we continue to work closely with.

Unfortunately, the nature of the incident means that some personal customer data has been taken, but there is no evidence that it has been shared. The personal data could include contact details, date of birth and online order history. However, importantly, the data does not include useable card or payment details, and it also does not include any account passwords. For more detail, see our FAQs.

How does this affect me and what should I do? 

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.“

“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused to you and all of our customers.“

M&S should be in touch to notify affected individuals.

Anyone who thinks they might be involved should take immediate steps to protect themselves.Find out how to do this here.

If you receive notification that you are affected by the M&S data breach, register to receive updates on our investigation. We’ll let you know what’s happening, and if and when you can make a data breach compensation claim.

A group action claim is where a group of people – sometimes even thousands of people – have been affected by the same issue. Group action cases are also known as class actions, multi-claimant, or multi-party actions.

If we do launch a group action, there are no costs to join a claim. However, if your claim is successful, you may have to pay a ‘success fee’. This fee is taken from the compensation awarded to you. At KP Law, our success fee is competitive, and we make sure you are fully informed about any potential costs before you officially join our action. If you lose, you won’t have to pay a penny.

What our clients say:

“Used KP Law for a group data breach compensation claim. I was kept updated throughout the process. The whole thing was easy with no stress.” – Anon

“I used the firm as part of a group action following a, potentially, hazardous data breach. From the very start, I was kept updated regarding the other side’s actions and what the counter actions were. I found KP to be trustworthy, knowledgeable and very customer friendly.” – Pat

“I used KP Law for the first time for a data breach group compensation claim. From outset to conclusion I was kept fully informed and received clear, regular updates throughout. I would not hesitate to recommend them and would choose them in any future action.” – Owen

Helpful guides

Getting justice for data hacking violations

By not putting adequate processes and training in place, organisations are leaving customers open to an increased risk of cyber scams and avoidable mistakes that lead to data breaches. If you are a victim of a data protection failure, check out our current group actions below to see if we are running a claim related to that specific breach.

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Data breach support & faqs

At KP Law, our expert data breach lawyers want to lessen the impact of a data violation as much as possible. To help, we have collated a range of support, information and other resources to help you get your life back on track.

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