Victoria’s Secret is battling a security incident. Its website and online orders are disrupted. Widespread outages began earlier on Monday this week. The company posted a brief statement Wednesday. It said it immediately enacted response protocols. Third-party experts have now been engaged. The main website was taken down as a precaution. Some in-store services were also affected. Shoppers visiting the site see a black screen. Its usual lingerie and sleepwear are unavailable. A spokesperson did not provide their name.
The nature of the incident was not described. Physical stores, however, currently remain open.
The security incident financially impacted Victoria’s Secret. Its stock shares closed down by 7%. This occurred after news of the website takedown. The company called it a prolonged “security incident.” Such a lengthy site-wide outage is very rare. This is unusual for a company of its large size. Online shopping revenue is extremely critical. Direct channels generated $2 billion in net sales in 2024. This represented roughly one-third of its total annual sales. The current disruption poses a substantial financial risk.
The company works to quickly restore operations. They aim for a secure restoration process.
Hackers are becoming more sophisticated with their methods. Artificial intelligence is significantly aiding these efforts. This expert opinion came from Richard Blech. He is CEO of AI security firm XSOC Corp. Many retail companies might not be prepared. They often outsource cybersecurity to third parties. These organizations manage multiple client accounts. Blech believes hackers are ahead of the game. He also stated they are very well-resourced. He called this a “critical failure in digital trust.” Attacking unprepared retailers is a new trend. US retailers were targeted this month by hackers. A notorious cybercriminal group was suspected. The FBI even provided intelligence briefings.
The same suspected group likely hacked Marks & Spencer. This major UK retailer’s online presence was hit hard. That incident will cost them 300 million pounds. Disruptions there could last until July. Richard Blech thinks Victoria’s Secret could face similar impacts. The service outage has been ongoing since Monday. This was confirmed by Bloomberg and social media. CNN has asked the company for more details. Victoria’s Secret hired Hillary Super as CEO last year. The company was then struggling with consumer demand. Super previously led the buzzy Savage X Fenty. This incident adds to their existing challenges.
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