Introduction
Spar group is a multinational player in the retail industry, well-known for operating food stores and providing wholesale supplies and support services. In Switzerland, you can find Spar stores almost anywhere, from urban centers to small towns. But even a well-established and globally recognized brand faced a cyberattack. In March 2025, Spar Switzerland became the latest target of a cyberattack, disrupting core business operations.
Cybersecurity incidents like this highlight a growing trend. No business, regardless of size or reputation, is immune to cyber threats. In this blog article, we are going to take a close look at this case, analyze what happened, and share important lessons learned.
What happened?
Quite recently, in early March 2025, Spar Switzerland experienced a major cyberattack that affected key operational systems. Specifically, the payment processing system and ordering platform were both disrupted, forcing some stores to operate under limited capacity or temporarily shut down.
Already back in December 2021, a cyberattack hit more than 300 convenience stores in the northern England. At that time, the result of this cyberattack was the same as this year’s attack – causing a “total IT outage”, preventing card payments and locked the business operations.
How did it happen?
The Spar group has not disclosed the full technical details as an official investigation is ongoing. Yet, it is assumed that unauthorized access was gained through phishing emails or compromised credentials from a third-party vendor.
To understand the potential methods used in this attack, it’s worth looking back at a similar incident Spar experienced in December 2021 in Northern England. That attack was confirmed as a ransomware attack orchestrated by the cybercriminal group Vice Society. In that case, the attackers deployed a double extortion tactic, not only encrypting critical data but also threatening to leak sensitive information on the dark web if ransom demands were not met.
Although there is no confirmed link between the 2021 and 2025 incidents, the recurrence of such cyber threats underscores the increasing sophistication of cybercriminal groups. They are now more capable than ever of targeting large organizations with tailored attacks, often exploiting human error or third-party vulnerabilities as entry points.
What was the result?
- Operational Disruption: payment systems went offline in many stores, forcing some to accept only cash or close temporarily.
- Revenue Loss: direct financial losses due to interrupted sales and potential ransom payments.
- Reputation Damage: customer trust took a hit, especially with data security concerns.
- Supply Chain Impact: delays in restocking shelves due to the affected ordering system disrupted store inventory.
- Regulatory Scrutiny: Spar is now under review by Swiss data protection authorities, especially regarding compliance with Swiss privacy laws and GDPR.
Spar has since engaged cybersecurity experts, restored operations, and is working on a long-term remediation plan and the details of this attack are not yet announced as it is an on-going case.
Key takeaways
- Cyberattacks on retailers are increasing, and even global companies like Spar are vulnerable.
- Phishing and third-party risks remain common entry points for attackers.
- Ransomware tactics are evolving, with double extortion becoming a standard approach for cybercriminals.
- Business continuity plans and cyber resilience strategies are critical to minimize downtime and financial loss.
- Investing in employee training and vendor risk management can help prevent similar incidents.
What can you do?
As seen in Spar’s case, the company has faced two similar cyberattacks—first in Northern England and now in Switzerland. This highlights that even globally recognized brands are vulnerable to cyber threats that disrupt business operations. To enhance cyber resilience, Swiss Cyber Institute is here to support you.
Our Security Skills Assessment, based on the globally recognized NICE framework, helps identify any gaps in your cybersecurity knowledge and provides a tailored roadmap for skill development. The Team Training raises cybersecurity awareness and offers practical security tips for employees at all levels, regardless of their role.
Want to strengthen your organization’s cybersecurity? Get in touch with us today.
