A journalist received a message from hackers claiming responsibility for significant cyber attacks on M&S and Co-op. They provided evidence of stolen data, detailing frustrations over ransom demands. After verifying the claims, the journalist reported the incident, prompting Co-op to admit to a major data breach. The interaction illustrates ongoing issues related to cybersecurity and ransom exploits in the retail sector, showcasing the hackers' audacity and the retailer's initial reluctance to fully disclose the breach.
After a conversation with the BBC's Editorial Policy team, we decided that it was in the public interest to report that they had provided us with evidence proving that they were responsible for the hack.
They were clearly frustrated that Co-op wasn't giving in to their ransom demands but wouldn't say how much money in Bitcoin they were demanding of the retailer.
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