Victoria’s Secret Takes Website Offline to Contain Security Incident

• The renowned clothing and lingerie retailer may have been the target of a ransomware attack.
• Victoria’s Secret took its official website offline following an acknowledged cybersecurity incident.
• Even some in-store digital services have been suspended as a precautionary measure.

Victoria’s Secret experienced digital disruptions this week after identifying a security incident affecting its web infrastructure. The company’s website was taken offline, and several digital point-of-sale or customer-facing services within physical locations were also impacted.

According to a statement published by the renowned clothing and lingerie retailer and reported across major news outlets, Victoria’s Secret suspended most website functions and some in-store digital services as a precautionary measure while initiating an incident response protocol.

The service interruptions began earlier in the week, with reports from users surfacing on Monday indicating widespread website outages. By Wednesday, Victoria’s Secret confirmed the issue, stating that it had “identified and [was] taking steps to address a security incident.” 

A spokesperson for the company emphasized that stores remain open for business, though online orders and account access remain unavailable while remediation efforts continue. 

While the company has yet to disclose the specific nature of the security incident, the event has had immediate operational and financial repercussions. Victoria’s Secret shares dropped approximately 7% on the day of disclosure, a reflection of investor concern typically associated with high-profile cyber incidents.

The retailer, which operates around 1,350 retail locations across 70 countries, has not shared details regarding customer data exposure or potential malware involvement. The lack of clarity on whether sensitive consumer information or payment data was compromised has heightened scrutiny from cybersecurity professionals and the wider business community.

Victoria’s Secret’s commitment to quickly bringing in external experts and suspending operations is viewed as a positive step in incident containment and prevention of further system compromise. 

Cyberattacks on retailers have increased in frequency and severity in recent years, often leading to protracted disruptions, reputational damage, and regulatory scrutiny.