Dior is latest big name to reveal data breach

As a number of UK retailers continue to reel from cyberattacks, French luxury giant Dior has this week confirmed that it too has suffered a data breach.

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A message it sent to customers read: “We are writing to inform you that, on May 7, 2025, we became aware that an unauthorized external party accessed some of the customer data we hold. The investigation we launched indicates that the cause of this incident is unauthorized access to one of our databases. We immediately took measures to contain this malicious incident, including by blocking such access… Based on the findings of the investigation to date, the concerned data includes contact details, purchase and preferences data, and other data that you may have shared with us. No financial information, including bank details, IBAN or credit card details, was contained in the concerned database.”

Reports in Chinese media suggested that the breach mainly focused on China and that information about some of the brand’s wealthiest consumers has been accessed.

Despite it saying that financial details are safe, the info that has been accessed could mean consumers are more vulnerable to scams. The company has advised customers to “remain vigilant for any suspicious activity or communication (text messages, phone calls, emails) since malicious actors could target you (e.g., via phishing emails) using the data they have obtained. Do not open communications or click on links from unknown sources, and do not disclose sensitive information”.

The news comes as M&S in the UK continues to deal with a cyberattack that caused it major problems, including the ongoing pause of its webstore operations, losing it millions of pounds in online revenue daily.

British grocery retailer the Co-op has also been targeted along with luxury department store Harrods, although in the latter case it seems little damage was done. 

Data is pure gold to companies seeking to know their customers better and work out just what they want to buy. But the more data that’s held, the more dangerous it is if it leaks. 

It all underlines how vulnerable even the biggest companies (at all price levels) are to malicious, determined and sophisticated attackers. And it’s likely that security upgrades are a hot topic in retailer and brand boardrooms globally at present.