WH Smith said attackers stole current and former employee data

WH Smith, the British newsagent, bookseller and travel retail chain, told the London Stock Exchange on March 2, 2023 that it had been the target of a cyber security incident that resulted in illegal access to some company data, including current and former employee data.

Reporting at the time indicated the exposed staff records included names, addresses, dates of birth and national insurance numbers. The company said it did not believe banking details had been taken, and that only UK employees were affected.

WH Smith said its website, customer accounts and underlying customer databases sit on separate systems that were not touched, and that there had been no impact on the group's trading. It said it immediately launched an investigation, engaged specialist support services, activated its incident response plan and notified the relevant authorities.

The company did not say how many people were affected, how the attackers got in, or whether ransomware was involved, and no group publicly claimed the attack. WH Smith said it was contacting all affected employees and offering them support. About 12,500 people work for the company across its high street shops and travel outlets in airports, railway stations and hospitals.