Jewellery retailer Cartier tells customers some data stolen in cyber attack

ZURICH, Switzerland – Cartier, the luxury jewellery company owned by Richemont, had its website hacked and some client data stolen, it told customers, according to an e-mail seen by Reuters on June 3.

The attack is the latest case of a company being targeted by cyber criminals, with

several retailers, including Marks & Spencer

and Victoria’s Secret, disclosing similar incidents.

Cartier, whose watches, necklaces and bracelets have been worn by Taylor Swift, Angelina Jolie and Michelle Obama, said “an unauthorised party gained temporary access to our system”.

“Limited client information”, such as names, e-mail addresses and countries, had been obtained, Cartier said in the e-mail.

“The affected information did not include any passwords, credit card details or other banking information,” it said, noting it had since contained the issue.

The company said it had further enhanced the protection of its systems and data, as well as informed the relevant authorities, and was also working with “leading external cyber-security experts”.

Cartier did not respond to a request for comment.

Mr Julius Cerniauskas, chief executive of web intelligence firm Oxylabs, said the breach showed no brand is safe from cyber crime.

“Attackers are becoming more opportunistic and sophisticated, targeting brands that hold valuable customer data, not just credit card numbers,” he said.

US lingerie company Victoria’s Secret on June 3 disclosed that a security incident relating to its information technology systems had forced it to temporarily shut down its website for a few days last week.

Victoria’s Secret said the breach did not impact its financial results for the first quarter or cause a material disruption to its operations, but warned that its second quarter could be hit by the additional expenses incurred following the incident.

British retailer Marks & Spencer said in May that a “highly sophisticated and targeted” cyber attack in April will cost it about £300 million (S$520 million) in lost profits.

Fashion brand The North Face, owned by VF Corp, has also e-mailed some customers, saying it discovered a “small-scale” attack in April.

The company told customers the hackers used “credential stuffing”, trying usernames and passwords stolen from another data breach in the hope customers have reused the credentials across multiple accounts, the BBC said on June 3.

VF Corp did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

London department store Harrods also said in May that hackers had attempted to break into its systems, following incidents at Marks & Spencer, and the Co-op Group. REUTERS