Victoria's Secret takes down US website after 'security incident'

Lingerie steadfast Victoria's Secret has taken down its US website and says it has halted immoderate in-store services pursuing what it has described arsenic a "security incident".

The mean tract has been replaced by a lawsuit announcement which says it is "working astir the timepiece to afloat reconstruct operations".

It says its stores - and those of its spin-off, PINK - are inactive unfastened for business.

The company's UK website is unaffected.

In a statement, the institution elaborate the enactment it has been taking.

"We instantly enacted our effect protocols, third-party experts are engaged, and we took down our website and immoderate in-store services arsenic a precaution," it said.

It has not fixed immoderate further details astir the quality of the incidental oregon confirmed erstwhile it began.

The institution which is based successful Ohio, successful the US, operates astir 1,350 retail stores crossed 70 countries.

Its stock terms fell by astir 7% connected Wednesday, erstwhile it archetypal issued a media connection astir the incident.

Some customers person taken to societal media to kick astir the interaction it is having connected them.

"How tin I cheque my bid presumption erstwhile your leafage has been down for 2 days?!? And nary 1 answers the telephone either!", wrote 1 connected X.

The incidental astatine Victoria's Secret comes aft a fig of large UK retailers person been deed by large cyber attacks.

M&S says it expects the hack it has been affected by will outgo it astir £300m, with disruption continuing until July.

The Co-op experienced bare shelves and disrupted payments aft it was hacked.

Customer information has been stolen from some firms.

The cyber criminals who accidental they were liable told the BBC that they targeted the firms with ransomware, which involves scrambling IT systems and telling companies they volition lone beryllium restored successful speech for payment.

The constabulary told BBC News that the transgression pack Scattered Spider - immoderate of whom are thought to beryllium teenagers - are among the suspects.

Vonny Gamot, from online extortion institution McAfee, recommended immoderate affected customers should instrumentality contiguous enactment specified arsenic changing passwords and enabling two-factor authentication connected accounts that enactment it.

She besides said radical should not hold to find retired if they had been straight caught up successful the cyber attacks.

"Even if you haven't received notification from the marque oregon retailer which has been impacted, presume your accusation whitethorn person been compromised if you've been a customer," she said.

"Companies often instrumentality weeks to place each affected individuals."