What’s happening with Victoria’s Secret? Website down, stock falls after unspecified ‘security incident’
Victoria’s Secret is staying hidden today as the company works to address a security incident impacting its U.S. website. Customers attempting to access the site were met with a message on Thursday stating the website and some in-store operations are unavailable while team members handle the apparent cybersecurity issue. The nature of the issue—and how quickly the company identified it—was not specified in the company’s statement, and Victoria’s Secret did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lingerie retailer, which reported $6.23 billion in revenue last year, saw the incident’s impact in its stock price, which dropped by over 11% between the market closing Tuesday night and opening Thursday morning. When did this start and how long will it last? Although the company has not provided a timeline for the incident, a company FAQ page notes that team members are working to fulfill orders placed before Monday, May 26, suggesting the issue may have first disrupted services on or after this date. Some customers, taking to online forums like Reddit, say the website has been down since as early as Sunday night. The FAQ page likewise did not offer a timeline for when the site or its customer services would be operational again, only that it is “working around the clock to restore our operations.” The security incident at Victoria’s Secret comes amid a wave of breaches at high-profile retailers. In the UK, a string of cyberattacks earlier this year targeted retailers Marks and Spencer, Harrods, and Co-op. It is hard to know whether the total number of cyberattacks is increasing, said Rob Pritchard, a cybersecurity consultant and former deputy head of the U.K.’s Cyber Security Operations Centre. However, incidents at well-known retailers are certainly bringing attention to the issue. For retailers, protecting against these attacks is “not an impossible task, but not an easy one,” Pritchard said. Looking at the methods behind attacks on other companies can be a blueprint for how to avoid future issues. Shares of Victoria’s Secret & Co (NYSE: VSCO) were down 1.43% in late-day trading on Thursday.
Victoria’s Secret is staying hidden today as the company works to address a security incident impacting its U.S. website.
Customers attempting to access the site were met with a message on Thursday stating the website and some in-store operations are unavailable while team members handle the apparent cybersecurity issue.
The nature of the issue—and how quickly the company identified it—was not specified in the company’s statement, and Victoria’s Secret did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lingerie retailer, which reported $6.23 billion in revenue last year, saw the incident’s impact in its stock price, which dropped by over 11% between the market closing Tuesday night and opening Thursday morning.
When did this start and how long will it last?
Although the company has not provided a timeline for the incident, a company FAQ page notes that team members are working to fulfill orders placed before Monday, May 26, suggesting the issue may have first disrupted services on or after this date.
Some customers, taking to online forums like Reddit, say the website has been down since as early as Sunday night.
The FAQ page likewise did not offer a timeline for when the site or its customer services would be operational again, only that it is “working around the clock to restore our operations.”
The security incident at Victoria’s Secret comes amid a wave of breaches at high-profile retailers. In the UK, a string of cyberattacks earlier this year targeted retailers Marks and Spencer, Harrods, and Co-op.
It is hard to know whether the total number of cyberattacks is increasing, said Rob Pritchard, a cybersecurity consultant and former deputy head of the U.K.’s Cyber Security Operations Centre. However, incidents at well-known retailers are certainly bringing attention to the issue.
For retailers, protecting against these attacks is “not an impossible task, but not an easy one,” Pritchard said. Looking at the methods behind attacks on other companies can be a blueprint for how to avoid future issues.
Shares of Victoria’s Secret & Co (NYSE: VSCO) were down 1.43% in late-day trading on Thursday.
