Supermarket Chain Spinneys Comes under Hacker Attack

The pan-Arab supermarket company Spinneys came under hacker attack on Saturday, resulting in delayed opening of its store network across the UAE.

Hackers managed to gain access to part of the Spinneys’ network, affecting the function of part of our store operations for a short period of time,

said Tom Harvey, general manager of Spinneys Dubai.

The aim of the attack remains unknown, as, according to Spinneys, no customer data was accessed; it is contained securely in a separate system that was not breached.

The MENA experiences the increasing number of cyberattacks, resulting in serious reputational and financial damage to the companies involved. As more businesses adopt hybrid work models and undergo rapid digital transformation, they become more exposed to cyber threats.

According to American security firm Cybereason, more than 85 per cent of UAE businesses surveyed said their security budget has increased in the past year to address ransomware.

At the same time, many cybersecurity companies cut their staff and prepare for the upcoming economic meltdown. However, changes in interest rate policy do not reduce hacker attacks, so one can expect that cyber giants will keep their R&D expenses at the same level.