Labour pencils £210m cyber plan to curb escalating attacks Tech The UK government has unveiled a £210m cyber action plan aimed at shoring up the public services, as ministers face mounting pressure to respond to a sharp rise in attacks on major British businesses. The plan, published on Tuesday, comes amid a backdrop of high-profile cyber incidents that hit retailers including M&S, Co-op and Jaguar [...]
Asda: Will 2026 be the year supermarket giant bounces back? Retail This time last year, analysts warned that Asda needed to “dig down into its soul” if it was to turn around its fortunes. After a rollercoaster 2024 in which it struggled with debt, strikes and falling sales, the Leeds-headquartered supermarket giant was hoping the new year would begin to reveal green shoots of recovery. Under [...]
The great high street outage of 2025 Retail On paper, British high streets have seen worse. Footfall has survived recessions, pandemics and price shocks before, and tills were just about still ringing. But this year it flickered, stalled and, in some cases, went dark – brought to its knees by a wave of cyber attacks that exposed the fragility of retail in the [...]
Cyber roles demand soars as UK firms scramble to plug skills gap November 13, 2025 Demand for cybersecurity training across UK businesses has surged following a wave of cyberattacks on major firms and public bodies, as employers scramble to strengthen defences ahead of new government rules. The rise in attacks, including one that crippled Jaguar Land Rover’s operations earlier this year, has coincided with a sharp rise in firms seeking [...]
Co-op to open or refurbish dozens of stores amid cyber attack recovery November 10, 2025 The Co-op has said it is pushing forward with a number of new stores and major refurbishments as it bounces back from a damaging cyber attack. The retailer said 50 stores will be opened or re-opened by Christmas as it urged the Government to reform business rates ahead of the autumn Budget. It said reforms [...]
Labour trails plans to fight cyberattacks October 30, 2025 The UK government is set to take further action to bolster national cyber resilience, City AM understands, as cybercrime continues to surge across the country. High-profile attacks on businesses, from smaller firms to major supply chains, have unveiled deep cracks and vulnerabilities in the economy. Tech secretary Liz Kendall told City AM: “We’re working really [...]
Co-op warns 150,000 jobs at risk ahead of Autumn Budget October 13, 2025 The Co-op has warned that 60,000 small shops and 150,000 jobs could be lost without business rates reform in next month’s Autumn Budget. The Manchester-headquartered group has said Britain’s high streets “face a critical moment” and that Chancellor Rachel Reeves needs to announce “maximum” business rates relief on 26 November. The call comes after City [...]
Ex-GCHQ chief: No company should be offline for weeks after cyberattack October 3, 2025 No vigilant company should need to go offline for more than a few days after a cyberattack, the former director of GCHQ has said in comments that will pile fresh scrutiny on Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) preparedness before its hack left production at a standstill for over a month. Robert Hannigan, who ran the UK [...]
The growing cost of cyber attacks: Why cyber insurance matters September 26, 2025 This year, headlines have been dominated by cyber attacks against prominent business names, causing disruptions and financial losses. But many of these businesses lacked a major tool: cyber insurance coverage. Marks & Spencer dominated the news in April and May after it was hit by a cyber attack, which forced the retail giant to suspend [...]
Co-op digests £80m profit hit from cyber attack September 25, 2025 The Co-operative Group has revealed an £80m hit to half-year profit after a damaging cyber attack earlier this year. The retail and funerals specialist said that it had slumped to a loss in the first half of 2025 after being targeted by a “malicious” cyber attack. Shoppers were faced with empty shelves and issues with [...]