Google warns U.S. retailers of rising cyber threat from ‘Scattered Spider’ group

Google has warned that U.S. retailers may be the next target of a hacking group linked to recent cyberattacks in the UK. The group, associated with the network known as “Scattered Spider,” is believed to be behind the disruption of online operations at major British retailer M&S, which has been offline since April 25.

John Hultquist, an analyst with Google’s cybersecurity unit, cautioned that the group is “aggressive, creative, and effective” at bypassing even well-established security systems. He noted that Scattered Spider typically focuses on one sector at a time and may continue targeting retail companies.

M&S confirmed that while no payment data or passwords were compromised, hackers accessed names, addresses, and order histories of some customers due to the “sophisticated nature” of the breach. Scattered Spider has also been linked to previous cyberattacks on U.S. firms, including MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, with law enforcement struggling to contain the group’s activities.