Fourlis Group hit by cyberattack that crippled online store operation

Retail group Fourlis was hit by a ransomware attack last month, affecting the operations of the Group's companies in Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania, and in particular IKEA and Intersport.

According to a statement from the Group, the technical problem was noticed on November 27 and was found to be due to "malicious external action."

The hit appears to have occurred on a central infrastructure to which the Group's companies were connected. However, the levels of interconnection are different, which means not all retailers were affected to the same extent.

The cyberattack brought down IKEA's e-shop in several countries for which the Group holds the franchise, which meant customers could only shop in physical stores. The attack also affected Black Friday shopping causing delays, the Group said in an announcement.

"The relevant departments of the Group,...