In 2025, retailers are facing an alarming increase in cyberattacks, with both high-end brands and essential services becoming prime targets. Notable victims include luxury brands like Cartier and staple retailers such as the Co-op, alongside wholesale distributors like Peter Green Chilled in the UK and United Natural Foods in the US.
The ramifications of these attacks extend beyond immediate data theft and operational disruptions. The financial toll can be substantial, and the long-term damage to a brand’s reputation can be severe. For many victims, a serious breach may feel unexpected, but as Mick Leach, Field CISO at Abnormal AI, notes, “these attacks are usually far from random.”
Criminals are increasingly timing their attacks to coincide with retail cycles, leveraging peak trading periods when retailers are most distracted. This strategic alignment provides them an advantage, and it’s crucial for retailers to bolster their defenses to avoid being caught off guard.
Cybercriminals Exploit Retail Patterns
The retail sector has distinct rhythms, with seasonal promotions and holiday surges creating predictable patterns. Research indicates that email-based attacks on retailers spike during high-pressure times. For example, UK retailers in Q2, which includes summer sales, experienced an average increase of approximately 10% in malicious emails compared to quieter periods. Phishing emails, a particularly insidious threat, surged by 14% during these busy times. This prevalence is largely due to phishing’s effectiveness; these emails seamlessly integrate into expected business communications, taking advantage of the industry’s regular fluctuations.
Interestingly, Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks—where attackers impersonate senior executives—exhibited a contrasting rhythm, peaking in the first quarter of the year, aligning with budgeting cycles and vendor negotiations in the UK.
Cybercriminals are adept at exploiting the chaos that accompanies peak retail seasons. Staff members are often overwhelmed, and the urgency often overrides caution, a vulnerability many retailers have yet to adequately address.
Why Retail is a Prime Target for Cyberattacks
Retailers possess various characteristics that make them attractive to cybercriminals. The sector contains vast amounts of customer data, including sensitive personal and financial information. Additionally, retailers face significant risks from disruptive ransomware attacks, which can encrypt critical data and systems.
Retail environments often operate with limited resources and lean IT teams, exacerbating vulnerabilities. The influx of temporary and part-time staff during busy periods complicates security efforts, making consistent security awareness challenging.
Email remains the cornerstone of retail operations, facilitating everything from order confirmations to supplier communications. Cybercriminals have become increasingly sophisticated, crafting realistic fake supplier requests and invoices that blend into legitimate communications, often bypassing outdated email defenses entirely.
Furthermore, Vendor Email Compromise (VEC) attacks are becoming more common, exploiting trusted relationships between customers and suppliers. These attacks can involve impersonating known contacts or sending malicious messages from compromised accounts, making them difficult to detect even for seasoned employees.
Proactive Measures Against Cyber Threats
The influx of malicious emails targeting retailers is unlikely to diminish soon. However, the predictability of these attacks provides an opportunity for improved defenses. Retailers can align their security strategies with known risk periods—preparing for increased cyber threats in Q2, for instance, by implementing more intensive awareness campaigns and training staff in advance.
Organizations should also tighten financial and procurement processes during Q1 to mitigate the risk of successful BEC attacks. By anticipating these threats, retailers can disrupt the criminal playbook, transforming timing from a vulnerability into a strategic advantage.
Traditional defenses like secure email gateways and spam filters are increasingly inadequate against today’s sophisticated threats. To combat these modern challenges, retailers should leverage behavioral AI, which analyzes communication patterns to identify anomalies before they lead to significant damage. For instance, unexpected payment requests from senior finance leads can be flagged for further investigation.
Moreover, fostering a culture where employees feel empowered to report suspicious emails without fear of repercussions is vital. When combined with intelligent detection systems, a vigilant workforce can form a robust defense, capable of adapting to the evolving tactics of cybercriminals.
As the retail landscape becomes increasingly threatened by cyberattacks, understanding and proactively addressing these risks is essential. Retailers must evolve their defensive strategies to keep up with both the pace and sophistication of these attacks, ensuring their operations—and reputations—remain secure.
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