WHSmith Company Cyber Security Posture
whsmithcareers.co.ukWHSmith is a leading, global travel retailer with a smaller business located on UK high streets. Since 1792, we’ve grown and evolved into a globally recognised brand, and we’re proud to be that air of familiarity people love and trust on their journey, both in life and through life. Today, we have more than 1700 stores in over 30 countries across the globe, serving millions of customers every year, and you’ll find us at airports, railway stations, hospitals and on the high street. Each of our stores and formats is tailored to meet the needs of our customers journeys; we’re the trusted home of travel essentials for the world’s travelling customer. We already operate in over 100 airports around the globe and we’re continuing to expand with a growing presence of WHSmith at international airports, and the expansion of our US businesses – Marshall Retail Group for speciality retail and InMotion, our world-leading digital and tech accessories business in travel locations - into new markets. On the high street, we’ve supported generations of customers on their journeys through life with everything from learning to read, going to school, accessing essential Post Office services to finding a great book. And our fast-growing online brands offer our customers another convenient way to shop, with personalised gifts and cards from FunkyPigeon.com and bestselling books and stationery from WHSmith.co.uk. At the heart of our business are our people and our customers. As a diverse group of over 14,000 colleagues, we are all on the same journey to a better business. Whether our colleagues are based in our stores, our distribution centres or our support centres, we’re committed to providing the opportunity for each and every member of the WHSmith team to be themselves, build their skillset, and progress on their journey with us. That’s why, as we continue our journey, our aim is simple: to make every one of life’s journeys better.
WHSmith Company Details
whsmith
5577 employees
83747.0
452
Retail
whsmithcareers.co.uk
Scan still pending
WHS_1986595
In-progress
WHSmith Risk Score (AI oriented)Between 800 and 900
This score is AI-generated and less favored by cyber insurers, who prefer the TPRM score.
WHSmith Global Score.png)
WHSmith Company Scoring based on AI Models
| Model Name | Date | Description | Current Score Difference | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVERAGE-Industry | 03-12-2025 | This score represents the average cybersecurity rating of companies already scanned within the same industry. It provides a benchmark to compare an individual company's security posture against its industry peers. | N/A | Between 800 and 900 |
WHSmith Company Cyber Security News & History
| Entity | Type | Severity | Impact | Seen | Url ID | Details | View |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHSmith | Breach | 75 | 4 | 09/2015 | WHS233319422 | Link | |
Rankiteo Explanation : Attack with significant impact with customers data leaksDescription: WHSmith experienced a data breach incident in September 2015 because of a glitch in its IT system. Its website randomly started sending out hundreds of private emails to people on its mailing list which resulted in the leakage of data of about 22 customers. The compromised data included real names, phone numbers, postal addresses, and email addresses of people trying to contact WHSmith. WHSmith immediately took preventive steps and apologized to the impacted persons. | |||||||
| WHSmith | Breach | 50 | 3 | 03/2023 | WHS193381023 | Link | |
Rankiteo Explanation : Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaksDescription: Retailer WH Smith stated that threat actors had accessed the data of about 12,500 current and former workers after breaching its infrastructure. With the aid of specialised support services, the company started an inquiry into the situation right once. It also alerted the appropriate authorities. All impacted employees have been informed by the corporation, which has also disclosed that it has taken steps to help them. Although the warning lacks specifics regarding the attack, the harm it reports is consistent with a ransomware attack. | |||||||
WHSmith Company Subsidiaries
WHSmith is a leading, global travel retailer with a smaller business located on UK high streets. Since 1792, we’ve grown and evolved into a globally recognised brand, and we’re proud to be that air of familiarity people love and trust on their journey, both in life and through life. Today, we have more than 1700 stores in over 30 countries across the globe, serving millions of customers every year, and you’ll find us at airports, railway stations, hospitals and on the high street. Each of our stores and formats is tailored to meet the needs of our customers journeys; we’re the trusted home of travel essentials for the world’s travelling customer. We already operate in over 100 airports around the globe and we’re continuing to expand with a growing presence of WHSmith at international airports, and the expansion of our US businesses – Marshall Retail Group for speciality retail and InMotion, our world-leading digital and tech accessories business in travel locations - into new markets. On the high street, we’ve supported generations of customers on their journeys through life with everything from learning to read, going to school, accessing essential Post Office services to finding a great book. And our fast-growing online brands offer our customers another convenient way to shop, with personalised gifts and cards from FunkyPigeon.com and bestselling books and stationery from WHSmith.co.uk. At the heart of our business are our people and our customers. As a diverse group of over 14,000 colleagues, we are all on the same journey to a better business. Whether our colleagues are based in our stores, our distribution centres or our support centres, we’re committed to providing the opportunity for each and every member of the WHSmith team to be themselves, build their skillset, and progress on their journey with us. That’s why, as we continue our journey, our aim is simple: to make every one of life’s journeys better.
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WHSmith Cyber Security News
Accenture and CrowdStrike Partner to Enhance Cybersecurity
Accenture and CrowdStrike have joined forces to drive enterprise cybersecurity transformation, helping businesses navigate complex digital ...
Accenture and CrowdStrike Team to Transform Security Operations, Mitigating Cyber Threats and Reducing Costs with AI-native Solutions
Accenture and CrowdStrike are collaborating to drive cybersecurity transformation, helping clients confidently navigate the next wave of ...
Co-op forced to shut down part of IT system after hack attempt
The Co-op has been forced to shut down parts of its IT system after discovering an attempted hack only days after Marks & Spencer faced a ...
Marks & Spencer (M&S) Halts Online Orders as Cyber Attack Disrupts Operations
M&S, one of Britain's most iconic retailers, has suspended all online and app orders in the UK and Ireland following a significant cyber attack.
Co-op faces delivery delays and empty shelves as cyber attack escalates
Co-op has warned customers of ongoing product shortages across its store network as the retailer continues to battle a “sustained” cyber ...
UK Stock Market News: WH Smith, Smiths News, Westminster Security
WH Smith agrees sale of UK high street stores, Smiths News delivers in line H1 results, Westminster sees revenues up but margins suffer.
Marks & Spencer pauses online orders as firm struggles with cyber-attack fallout
The company apologised to shoppers for “this inconvenience” and paused digital orders “as part of our proactive management of a cyber incident”.
WH Smith hit by cyber attack, current and former staff data accessed
WH Smith has revealed that it has been hit by a cyber attack which has impacted current and former staff members.
British retail chain WH Smith says data stolen in cyberattack
British retailer WH Smith has suffered a data breach that exposed information belonging to current and former employees.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Cybersecurity Incidents
WHSmith CyberSecurity History Information
Total Incidents: According to Rankiteo, WHSmith has faced 2 incidents in the past.
Incident Types: The types of cybersecurity incidents that have occurred include ['Breach'].
Total Financial Loss: The total financial loss from these incidents is estimated to be {total_financial_loss}.
Cybersecurity Posture: The company's overall cybersecurity posture is described as WHSmith is a leading, global travel retailer with a smaller business located on UK high streets. Since 1792, we’ve grown and evolved into a globally recognised brand, and we’re proud to be that air of familiarity people love and trust on their journey, both in life and through life. Today, we have more than 1700 stores in over 30 countries across the globe, serving millions of customers every year, and you’ll find us at airports, railway stations, hospitals and on the high street. Each of our stores and formats is tailored to meet the needs of our customers journeys; we’re the trusted home of travel essentials for the world’s travelling customer. We already operate in over 100 airports around the globe and we’re continuing to expand with a growing presence of WHSmith at international airports, and the expansion of our US businesses – Marshall Retail Group for speciality retail and InMotion, our world-leading digital and tech accessories business in travel locations - into new markets. On the high street, we’ve supported generations of customers on their journeys through life with everything from learning to read, going to school, accessing essential Post Office services to finding a great book. And our fast-growing online brands offer our customers another convenient way to shop, with personalised gifts and cards from FunkyPigeon.com and bestselling books and stationery from WHSmith.co.uk. At the heart of our business are our people and our customers. As a diverse group of over 14,000 colleagues, we are all on the same journey to a better business. Whether our colleagues are based in our stores, our distribution centres or our support centres, we’re committed to providing the opportunity for each and every member of the WHSmith team to be themselves, build their skillset, and progress on their journey with us. That’s why, as we continue our journey, our aim is simple: to make every one of life’s journeys better..
Detection and Response: The company detects and responds to cybersecurity incidents through {description_of_detection_and_response_process}.
Incident Details
Incident 1: Ransomware Attack
Title: {Incident_Title}
Description: {Brief_description_of_the_incident}
Date Detected: {Detection_Date}
Date Publicly Disclosed: {Disclosure_Date}
Date Resolved: {Resolution_Date}
Type: {Type_of_Attack}
Attack Vector: {Attack_Vector}
Vulnerability Exploited: {Vulnerability}
Threat Actor: {Threat_Actor}
Motivation: {Motivation}
Incident 2: Data Breach
Title: {Incident_Title}
Description: {Brief_description_of_the_incident}
Date Detected: {Detection_Date}
Date Publicly Disclosed: {Disclosure_Date}
Date Resolved: {Resolution_Date}
Type: {Type_of_Attack}
Attack Vector: {Attack_Vector}
Vulnerability Exploited: {Vulnerability}
Threat Actor: {Threat_Actor}
Motivation: {Motivation}
Common Attack Types: The most common types of attacks the company has faced are ['Breach'].
Identification of Attack Vectors: The company identifies the attack vectors used in incidents through {description_of_identification_process}.
Impact of the Incidents
Incident 1: Ransomware Attack
Financial Loss: {Financial_Loss}
Data Compromised: {Data_Compromised}
Systems Affected: {Systems_Affected}
Downtime: {Downtime}
Operational Impact: {Operational_Impact}
Conversion Rate Impact: {Conversion_Rate_Impact}
Revenue Loss: {Revenue_Loss}
Customer Complaints: {Customer_Complaints}
Brand Reputation Impact: {Brand_Reputation_Impact}
Legal Liabilities: {Legal_Liabilities}
Identity Theft Risk: {Identity_Theft_Risk}
Payment Information Risk: {Payment_Information_Risk}
Incident 2: Data Breach
Financial Loss: {Financial_Loss}
Data Compromised: {Data_Compromised}
Systems Affected: {Systems_Affected}
Downtime: {Downtime}
Operational Impact: {Operational_Impact}
Conversion Rate Impact: {Conversion_Rate_Impact}
Revenue Loss: {Revenue_Loss}
Customer Complaints: {Customer_Complaints}
Brand Reputation Impact: {Brand_Reputation_Impact}
Legal Liabilities: {Legal_Liabilities}
Identity Theft Risk: {Identity_Theft_Risk}
Payment Information Risk: {Payment_Information_Risk}
Average Financial Loss: The average financial loss per incident is {average_financial_loss}.
Commonly Compromised Data Types: The types of data most commonly compromised in incidents are {list_of_commonly_compromised_data_types}.
Incident 1: Ransomware Attack
Entity Name: {Entity_Name}
Entity Type: {Entity_Type}
Industry: {Industry}
Location: {Location}
Size: {Size}
Customers Affected: {Customers_Affected}
Incident 2: Data Breach
Entity Name: {Entity_Name}
Entity Type: {Entity_Type}
Industry: {Industry}
Location: {Location}
Size: {Size}
Customers Affected: {Customers_Affected}
Response to the Incidents
Incident 1: Ransomware Attack
Incident Response Plan Activated: {Yes/No}
Third Party Assistance: {Yes/No}
Law Enforcement Notified: {Yes/No}
Containment Measures: {Containment_Measures}
Remediation Measures: {Remediation_Measures}
Recovery Measures: {Recovery_Measures}
Communication Strategy: {Communication_Strategy}
Adaptive Behavioral WAF: {Adaptive_Behavioral_WAF}
On-Demand Scrubbing Services: {On_Demand_Scrubbing_Services}
Network Segmentation: {Network_Segmentation}
Enhanced Monitoring: {Enhanced_Monitoring}
Incident 2: Data Breach
Incident Response Plan Activated: {Yes/No}
Third Party Assistance: {Yes/No}
Law Enforcement Notified: {Yes/No}
Containment Measures: {Containment_Measures}
Remediation Measures: {Remediation_Measures}
Recovery Measures: {Recovery_Measures}
Communication Strategy: {Communication_Strategy}
Adaptive Behavioral WAF: {Adaptive_Behavioral_WAF}
On-Demand Scrubbing Services: {On_Demand_Scrubbing_Services}
Network Segmentation: {Network_Segmentation}
Enhanced Monitoring: {Enhanced_Monitoring}
Incident Response Plan: The company's incident response plan is described as {description_of_incident_response_plan}.
Third-Party Assistance: The company involves third-party assistance in incident response through {description_of_third_party_involvement}.
Data Breach Information
Incident 2: Data Breach
Type of Data Compromised: {Type_of_Data}
Number of Records Exposed: {Number_of_Records}
Sensitivity of Data: {Sensitivity_of_Data}
Data Exfiltration: {Yes/No}
Data Encryption: {Yes/No}
File Types Exposed: {File_Types}
Personally Identifiable Information: {Yes/No}
Prevention of Data Exfiltration: The company takes the following measures to prevent data exfiltration: {description_of_prevention_measures}.
Handling of PII Incidents: The company handles incidents involving personally identifiable information (PII) through {description_of_handling_process}.
Ransomware Information
Incident 1: Ransomware Attack
Ransom Demanded: {Ransom_Amount}
Ransom Paid: {Ransom_Paid}
Ransomware Strain: {Ransomware_Strain}
Data Encryption: {Yes/No}
Data Exfiltration: {Yes/No}
Ransom Payment Policy: The company's policy on paying ransoms in ransomware incidents is described as {description_of_ransom_payment_policy}.
Data Recovery from Ransomware: The company recovers data encrypted by ransomware through {description_of_data_recovery_process}.
Regulatory Compliance
Incident 1: Ransomware Attack
Regulations Violated: {Regulations_Violated}
Fines Imposed: {Fines_Imposed}
Legal Actions: {Legal_Actions}
Regulatory Notifications: {Regulatory_Notifications}
Incident 2: Data Breach
Regulations Violated: {Regulations_Violated}
Fines Imposed: {Fines_Imposed}
Legal Actions: {Legal_Actions}
Regulatory Notifications: {Regulatory_Notifications}
Regulatory Frameworks: The company complies with the following regulatory frameworks regarding cybersecurity: {list_of_regulatory_frameworks}.
Ensuring Regulatory Compliance: The company ensures compliance with regulatory requirements through {description_of_compliance_measures}.
Lessons Learned and Recommendations
Incident 1: Ransomware Attack
Lessons Learned: {Lessons_Learned}
Incident 2: Data Breach
Lessons Learned: {Lessons_Learned}
Incident 1: Ransomware Attack
Recommendations: {Recommendations}
Incident 2: Data Breach
Recommendations: {Recommendations}
Key Lessons Learned: The key lessons learned from past incidents are {list_of_key_lessons_learned}.
Implemented Recommendations: The company has implemented the following recommendations to improve cybersecurity: {list_of_implemented_recommendations}.
References
Additional Resources: Stakeholders can find additional resources on cybersecurity best practices at {list_of_additional_resources}.
Investigation Status
Incident 1: Ransomware Attack
Investigation Status: {Investigation_Status}
Incident 2: Data Breach
Investigation Status: {Investigation_Status}
Communication of Investigation Status: The company communicates the status of incident investigations to stakeholders through {description_of_communication_process}.
Stakeholder and Customer Advisories
Incident 1: Ransomware Attack
Stakeholder Advisories: {Stakeholder_Advisories}
Customer Advisories: {Customer_Advisories}
Incident 2: Data Breach
Stakeholder Advisories: {Stakeholder_Advisories}
Customer Advisories: {Customer_Advisories}
Advisories Provided: The company provides the following advisories to stakeholders and customers following an incident: {description_of_advisories_provided}.
Initial Access Broker
Incident 1: Ransomware Attack
Entry Point: {Entry_Point}
Reconnaissance Period: {Reconnaissance_Period}
Backdoors Established: {Backdoors_Established}
High Value Targets: {High_Value_Targets}
Data Sold on Dark Web: {Yes/No}
Incident 2: Data Breach
Entry Point: {Entry_Point}
Reconnaissance Period: {Reconnaissance_Period}
Backdoors Established: {Backdoors_Established}
High Value Targets: {High_Value_Targets}
Data Sold on Dark Web: {Yes/No}
Monitoring and Mitigation of Initial Access Brokers: The company monitors and mitigates the activities of initial access brokers through {description_of_monitoring_and_mitigation_measures}.
Post-Incident Analysis
Incident 1: Ransomware Attack
Root Causes: {Root_Causes}
Corrective Actions: {Corrective_Actions}
Incident 2: Data Breach
Root Causes: {Root_Causes}
Corrective Actions: {Corrective_Actions}
Post-Incident Analysis Process: The company's process for conducting post-incident analysis is described as {description_of_post_incident_analysis_process}.
Corrective Actions Taken: The company has taken the following corrective actions based on post-incident analysis: {list_of_corrective_actions_taken}.
Additional Questions
General Information
Ransom Payment History: The company has {paid/not_paid} ransoms in the past.
Last Ransom Demanded: The amount of the last ransom demanded was {last_ransom_amount}.
Last Attacking Group: The attacking group in the last incident was {last_attacking_group}.
Incident Details
Most Recent Incident Detected: The most recent incident detected was on {most_recent_incident_detected_date}.
Most Recent Incident Publicly Disclosed: The most recent incident publicly disclosed was on {most_recent_incident_publicly_disclosed_date}.
Most Recent Incident Resolved: The most recent incident resolved was on {most_recent_incident_resolved_date}.
Impact of the Incidents
Highest Financial Loss: The highest financial loss from an incident was {highest_financial_loss}.
Most Significant Data Compromised: The most significant data compromised in an incident was {most_significant_data_compromised}.
Most Significant System Affected: The most significant system affected in an incident was {most_significant_system_affected}.
Response to the Incidents
Third-Party Assistance in Most Recent Incident: The third-party assistance involved in the most recent incident was {third_party_assistance_in_most_recent_incident}.
Containment Measures in Most Recent Incident: The containment measures taken in the most recent incident were {containment_measures_in_most_recent_incident}.
Data Breach Information
Most Sensitive Data Compromised: The most sensitive data compromised in a breach was {most_sensitive_data_compromised}.
Number of Records Exposed: The number of records exposed in the most significant breach was {number_of_records_exposed}.
Ransomware Information
Highest Ransom Demanded: The highest ransom demanded in a ransomware incident was {highest_ransom_demanded}.
Highest Ransom Paid: The highest ransom paid in a ransomware incident was {highest_ransom_paid}.
Regulatory Compliance
Highest Fine Imposed: The highest fine imposed for a regulatory violation was {highest_fine_imposed}.
Most Significant Legal Action: The most significant legal action taken for a regulatory violation was {most_significant_legal_action}.
Lessons Learned and Recommendations
Most Significant Lesson Learned: The most significant lesson learned from past incidents was {most_significant_lesson_learned}.
Most Significant Recommendation Implemented: The most significant recommendation implemented to improve cybersecurity was {most_significant_recommendation_implemented}.
References
Most Recent Source: The most recent source of information about an incident is {most_recent_source}.
Most Recent URL for Additional Resources: The most recent URL for additional resources on cybersecurity best practices is {most_recent_url}.
Investigation Status
Current Status of Most Recent Investigation: The current status of the most recent investigation is {current_status_of_most_recent_investigation}.
Stakeholder and Customer Advisories
Most Recent Stakeholder Advisory: The most recent stakeholder advisory issued was {most_recent_stakeholder_advisory}.
Most Recent Customer Advisory: The most recent customer advisory issued was {most_recent_customer_advisory}.
Initial Access Broker
Most Recent Entry Point: The most recent entry point used by an initial access broker was {most_recent_entry_point}.
Most Recent Reconnaissance Period: The most recent reconnaissance period for an incident was {most_recent_reconnaissance_period}.
Post-Incident Analysis
Most Significant Root Cause: The most significant root cause identified in post-incident analysis was {most_significant_root_cause}.
Most Significant Corrective Action: The most significant corrective action taken based on post-incident analysis was {most_significant_corrective_action}.
What Do We Measure?
Every week, Rankiteo analyzes billions of signals to give organizations a sharper, faster view of emerging risks. With deeper, more actionable intelligence at their fingertips, security teams can outpace threat actors, respond instantly to Zero-Day attacks, and dramatically shrink their risk exposure window.
These are some of the factors we use to calculate the overall score:
Identify exposed access points, detect misconfigured SSL certificates, and uncover vulnerabilities across the network infrastructure.
Gain visibility into the software components used within an organization to detect vulnerabilities, manage risk, and ensure supply chain security.
Monitor and manage all IT assets and their configurations to ensure accurate, real-time visibility across the company's technology environment.
Leverage real-time insights on active threats, malware campaigns, and emerging vulnerabilities to proactively defend against evolving cyberattacks.
