Asos confirms cyber attack: What to know

E-commerce giant Asos has confirmed it was hit by a cyber attack after thousands of customers received a threatening notification through its app on Tuesday, initially leaving the nature and extent of the incident unclear.

The online fashion retailer has now said the notification was unauthorised and resulted from activity involving third-party platforms used to communicate with customers. It has since restricted access to the impacted notification platforms and is investigating with internal and external cybersecurity specialists and relevant authorities.

The notification, titled “Asos Hacked”, claimed the company’s Snowflake platform had been “fully compromised” and threatened to leak information. It included a link to a newly created Telegram channel identifying the hackers as the Xuanye Group.

Asos has not confirmed that its Snowflake setup was accessed, however, it said basic personal information, including customer names and contact details, may have been compromised. It does not believe payment-card information or account passwords were included in the leaked data.

The company added that its website and app remain operational, with no current disruption to trading. It also has cyber security and business continuity insurance, however, it noted that it was too early to understand any potential impact on trading.

Upon the distribution of the initial notification, the incident has left an immediate impact on investor confidence, with Asos shares falling around 11 percent in morning trading yesterday, from around 500 to 433 pence, before recovering to approximately 460 pence.

ASOS customers have been advised to remain alert to follow-up phishing attempts, particularly messages claiming to be from ASOS that request password resets, payment information, refunds or order verification.

The incident also comes amid wider scrutiny of cybersecurity across fashion and retail, with Marks & Spencer, Under Armour, Nike, Adidas and Urban Outfitters among companies linked to data-breach or cyberattack investigations and claims in recent months.