Why website security can’t be an afterthought
Cyberattacks on retail and E-Commerce businesses are rising at an alarming rate, with major high street names and independent online stores alike falling victim to sophisticated digital threats. The breach at Marks & Spencer — which exposed customer contact details and disrupted online services for weeks — has shown how even the most established brands can be brought to a standstill by a single cyber incident.
Beyond the financial loss, reputational damage is severe. M&S faced an estimated £43 million per week in lost sales, and while payment data was not compromised, the attack shook customer confidence and served as a stark reminder that every online retailer, regardless of size, must take website security seriously.
Fraud and cybercrime: the evolving E-Commerce landscape
A new report by PwC and digital commerce trust platform Forter has outlined the top fraud risks expected to affect E-Commerce. It paints a worrying picture: from AI-driven scams to supply chain manipulation, fraudsters are adopting new tools and tactics faster than many retailers can adapt.
Among the most common threats are:
- Returns and refund abuse – still the number one E-Commerce fraud type.
- Remote access attacks – rising 8% year on year, where criminals gain unauthorised entry into back office systems.
- Card testing schemes – where automated bots trial stolen card numbers on low value purchases.
- Fake accounts – with 90% linked to a small number of organised fraud groups.
- Loyalty and rewards fraud – now up to seven times more likely than general account fraud.
These are no longer the domain of opportunistic hackers. Many are run like professional enterprises, using AI and machine learning to automate and conceal fraudulent behaviour at scale.
What’s driving the risk?
PwC’s analysis highlights the perfect storm of factors creating vulnerability across the retail sector: economic uncertainty, global instability, and resource pressures that can tempt organisations to reduce investment in fraud prevention. Remote working has expanded access points, and interconnected supply chains have introduced fresh risk through third-party integrations and plugins.
The result? A rapidly expanding attack surface where a single weakness, such as an outdated plug in, a forgotten subdomain, or a missed maintenance update, can expose an entire operation.
Regulatory pressure is increasing
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA), which came into effect in September 2025, will tighten accountability further. The new legislation introduced a corporate offence for failing to prevent fraud, meaning a company can be held criminally liable if an employee, contractor, or supplier commits a fraud that benefits the organisation.
For E-Commerce businesses, this means security, compliance, and risk prevention are legal necessities. Ignoring this can lead to heavy fines, reputational damage, and customer backlash.
How real world attacks unfold
The M&S cyberattack demonstrates how breaches can develop in stages. First came disruption to payment and ordering systems, then a full outage of online services, and finally the confirmation that personal data had been stolen. The hackers, reportedly using a double extortion model through the DragonForce cybercrime service, stole and encrypted data simultaneously, before demanding payment for both restoring access and deleting stolen copies.
Although M&S acted quickly by alerting customers, resetting passwords, and working with cybersecurity experts, the brand still faced a lengthy recovery process. Similar attacks also hit The Co-op and Harrods within weeks, suggesting the perpetrators exploited shared vulnerabilities in retail systems or suppliers.
For small and medium sized E-Commerce businesses, such an incident could be existential.
Emerging risks
Here are five emerging risk areas that every E-Commerce operator must be aware of:
- AI-powered fraud – Criminals use generative AI to mimic brand tone in phishing emails, create synthetic identities, and run intelligent bots that pass as legitimate shoppers.
- Omni channel exposure – Selling across websites, apps, marketplaces and social channels introduces multiple entry points if security protocols differ.
- First-party fraud – ‘Friendly fraud’ through chargebacks and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) schemes is expected to exceed $2 billion globally this year.
- Regulatory compliance – Non-compliance with GDPR, or new data laws can be as damaging as a direct attack.
- Third-party vulnerabilities – Supply chain dependencies, from payment gateways to fulfilment APIs, are now among the most exploited targets.
As the global E-Commerce market surpasses $7 trillion in 2025, these risks will only escalate in scale and sophistication.
How BBI Brandboost helps protect your business
At BBI Brandboost, we understand that strong website performance and robust website security go hand in hand. Our hosting and maintenance services are designed to safeguard your online presence from the growing list of digital threats described above without adding unnecessary complexity to your operations.
Here’s how we do it:
- Secure, UK-based hosting: Our managed hosting environment provides continuous monitoring, daily backups, SSL certification, and rapid patching for emerging vulnerabilities. By keeping websites on secure servers with limited access, we reduce the risk of intrusion and downtime.
- Regular maintenance and updates: Outdated CMS versions, plugins and themes are among the most common points of entry for attackers. Our maintenance checks ensure that all elements of your website are kept current and compliant, minimising potential weak spots before they can be exploited.
- Real time monitoring and incident response: If unusual activity is detected, such as multiple failed logins, malware injections, or file changes, alerts are triggered immediately. Our team can act quickly to isolate issues and restore service, limiting potential damage and data loss.
- Backup and recovery procedures: We perform scheduled backups and maintain restore points to ensure business continuity in the event of an attack or data loss incident.
These measures form part of a broader philosophy that security is a continuous process. By combining technical vigilance with proactive management, BBI Brandboost helps businesses reduce risk, improve resilience, and maintain operational confidence.
Stay secure, stay trusted
Cybercrime will continue to evolve, but so too will the tools available to defend against it. By partnering with a proactive web agency that combines technical expertise with long term strategic support, your business can stay one step ahead of emerging threats.
If you’d like to discuss how BBI Brandboost can strengthen your website security, ensure compliance, and protect your E-Commerce platform from the next generation of digital threats, get in touch with our team today.