Did you know that a cyberattack can cost an organization more than $100 million? This is what happened to
The Co-operative Group (Co-op) in the U.K. Their report in the first half of 2025 states they lost
£80 million ($107 million) in profit related to a hack in April 2025.
So what does that mean?
In April
Co-op had to shut down parts of its systems based on an attempted hack. Some of those systems served offices and call centers, so staff had to do some manual work. Unfortunately hackers stole personal details of
6.5 million members of Co-op, including names and contact info.
Co-op also needed to rebuild some systems which caused additional delays. In total, they rerouted
350,000 items that would be used in other co-op stores within the system and provided discount coupons to members who were affected by all of this.
What were the total costs?
The full impact consisted of:
- £20 million in additional costs to restore the damage
- £60 million from sales lost while systems were off-line
All told, the company lost revenue of
£206 million ($277 million). The Co-op expects to incur an additional
£20 million loss in late 2025 as they finish recovery.
Even with the losses, Co-op still has £800 million of cash to be able to run safely.
Who was responsible?
The National Crime Agency of the U.K. had arrested four people between the ages of 17 and 20 in connection to this attack. They have also been linked to hacks of
Marks & Spencer and Harrods.
What we learned
Co-op was willing to act fast to keep a hacker from locking up their data, but it still caused significant issues. This highlights how even the well-established and trusted organizations have faced significant impacts due to cybercrime.
Final thoughts
The
Scattered Spider attack illustrates the importance of cybersecurity.
Cyberattacks can lead to impacts on finances, business operations, and customer trust in your business.
Co-op is on a road to recovery, but the bottom line is: no matter the size, a company should be prepared for a cyberattack.