The Data Explosion in Retail
Retailers, whether they are small local stores, online sellers, or global brands, are now dealing with a larger volume of data than ever before. This data encompasses customer information, both online and in-store, as well as supply chain and asset tracking data. The way customers shop has fundamentally changed, thanks to online shopping and in-store apps that offer the latest deals and savings. This shift has allowed retailers to create unique customer profiles, enabling them to deliver truly personalised experiences.
However, every data transfer point presents an opportunity for malicious actors to gain unauthorised access to corporate and personal data. They can also introduce harmful software into the underlying infrastructure, posing a significant threat to businesses and their reputation. While retailers may already have physical and digital security measures in place, the evolving landscape of cybercrime demands a proactive approach.
The retail sector must therefore closely examine the latest threats and develop a new model of cyber security to counteract them, and its technology partners must be ready to support them throughout this journey, establishing a proactive approach to cyber security at their corporate headquarters, store locations, warehouses, supply chains, and across their online presence.
Threat Landscape & Real-World Breaches
The range of cyber threats that must be considered is broad, including account takeover, credit card fraud, phishing, web scraping, API abuses, and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Although some of these strategies have existed for years, the accessibility and sophistication of artificial intelligence have made them more automated, leading to larger and faster attacks. State-sponsored cybercrime has also added to the constant risk faced by the entire sector, impacting sales, customer satisfaction, and brand reputation.
All this puts a considerable strain on internal IT resources, with teams unable to effectively act on the latest threat intelligence as it becomes available and often failing to detect 'back doors' into corporate infrastructure until they have been compromised. We have seen the full impact of such attacks multiple times throughout 2025, such as the breach Marks & Spencer suffered in April 2025. In the aftermath of the attack, the company's share prices were significantly affected, with its losses estimated as at least £300m. The same group of hackers would later target Jaguar Land Rover, forcing it to suspend its production lines and make multiple employees redundant.
And this is before we even consider the potentially irreparable reputational damage that inevitably follows a breach. Increasingly stringent data protection regulations like the GDPR means retailers have a legal obligation to ensure data is collected, transferred, and stored with the utmost care, as well as to inform customers if their data has been compromised. If a breach does occur, restoring consumer and customer confidence will prove extremely difficult, as we saw when the Co-op's offer of a £10 voucher to customers' whose data had been stolen was widely deemed inadequate.
Building a Proactive Cybersecurity Model
The cyber threat landscape is continuously evolving, with new threats emerging regularly. This evolution will only accelerate as the retail sector adopts smart technology, Cloud platforms, and SaaS applications, while cybercriminals utilise bots and automation to intensify attacks. Retailers must therefore treat cyber security with the same seriousness physical security systems and collaborate closely with technology partners to develop fully integrated systems that provide customers with complete peace of mind.
Channel businesses are uniquely placed to support the sector here, drawing on broad portfolios of cyber security solutions and the experience and expertise of leading experts to support an end-to-end security posture, suitable for retailers' increasingly integrated physical and digital infrastructure, and the scale of threats they face. As an EXPO.e Channel Partner, you are able to draw directly on our rich heritage of cyber security innovation – from our 24/7 managed CSOC to a leading-edge SASE platform that bridges the worlds of networking and security. This way, you are perfectly positioned to establish yourself as your retail customers' key security partner, making you indispensable to their long-term growth. Start exploring our cyber security innovations today.