Latest UK Cyber Attacks 2025: Classification by Common Types

Britain got hit hard by cyber attacks in 2025. From big retailers going dark to hospitals struggling with broken systems, criminal gangs went after everything. Here’s how these attacks played out across different types.

Ransomware Attacks

What happens: Criminal groups lock up your files and demand money to give them back
The big hits:

• Marks & Spencer (April-May 2025): Ransomware struck over Easter weekend and killed their online shopping for six weeks straight. The damage was massive.
• Co-op Group (May 2025): Ransomware broke checkout systems and supply chains across 2,300 stores. Customers couldn’t pay, shelves went empty.
• Southern Water: Black Basta gang’s ransomware attack cost £4.5 million and raised serious questions about protecting water supplies.
• Scottish Schools (May 2025): Ransomware hit during exam season, disrupting thousands of students when they needed systems most.

The damage: Operations stop dead, money hemorrhages, public services collapse.

Data Breaches & Unauthorised Access

What happens: Attackers break in and steal sensitive information
The big hits:

• Legal Aid Agency: Massive breach exposed personal details of 2.1 million people – criminal records, financial info, national insurance numbers going back 15 years.
• Co-op: Hackers got into systems and walked away with customer and employee data.
• Inflite The Jet Centre (August 2025): Data breach exposed details of 3,700 Afghan refugees processed by this Ministry of Defence contractor.
• Oxford City Council, Cartier, The North Face: All had attackers break in and steal user data.

The damage: Privacy gets shredded, identity theft risks spike, regulators get angry, reputation takes a beating.

Phishing & Social Engineering

What happens: Scammers trick people into handing over passwords or access
The big hits:

• Multiple retailers (M&S, Co-op): Started with phishing emails targeting staff or suppliers.
• Scattered Spider group: Used sophisticated tricks to steal credentials from employees.
• HMRC (June 2025): Massive phishing operation let criminals steal £47 million in fake tax repayments.
• Edinburgh Schools: Spear-phishing attack locked out over 2,500 pupils from online revision materials.

The damage: Passwords get stolen, bigger attacks follow, money gets stolen, students can’t study.

Supply Chain & Third-Party Attacks

What happens: Attackers hit suppliers and contractors to reach multiple targets at once
The big hits:

• Marketing Platforms (Mailchimp, HubSpot – April 2025): Breaches at these vendors opened the door for widespread attacks against UK businesses using their services.
• Collins Aerospace/Aviation Supply Chain (September 2025): Ransomware hit the check-in system provider and chaos spread across European airports including Heathrow. Shows how one vendor’s problem becomes everyone’s nightmare.
• Various vendor compromises: Third-party breaches spread like wildfire to multiple UK organisations.

The damage: Widespread chaos, trust in suppliers crumbles, attacks spread like dominoes.

Critical Infrastructure & Operational Technology Attacks

What happens: Attackers target essential services and factory systems
The big hits:

• Jaguar Land Rover (September 1, 2025): Cyber-attack shut down production at two UK plants completely.
• NHS Scotland (March 2025): Network outages hit multiple health boards, disrupting clinical systems and delaying patient care.
• Southern Water: Attack on water infrastructure raised public safety fears.
• Heathrow Airport & European Aviation Infrastructure (September 19-21, 2025): Ransomware attack on Collins Aerospace’s MUSE software broke check-in systems across major European airports including Heathrow, Brussels, Berlin, and Dublin. Airlines had to check people in manually, causing hundreds of flight delays and cancellations.

The damage: Production lines stop, healthcare gets disrupted, public safety at risk, economic losses mount.

Public Sector & Government Attacks

What happens: Targeted attacks on government agencies and public services
The big hits:

• Legal Aid Agency: Massive data breach affecting 2.1 million people.
• NHS Scotland: Healthcare systems disrupted.
• Scottish Schools: Educational systems attacked during exam periods.
• Choice Housing (Northern Ireland): Major IT problems for social housing provider.

The damage: Public services break down, citizen data gets exposed, public trust erodes.

Fraud & Financial Crime

What happens: Attacks designed to steal money directly
The big hits:

• HMRC: Criminal gangs used phishing to pull off large-scale tax fraud, stealing £47 million in fake repayments.
• Identity theft campaigns: Multiple incidents where stolen personal data got used for financial fraud.

The damage: Direct money losses, taxpayers foot the bill, identity theft consequences.

Prevented/Contained Attacks

What happens: Attack attempts that got stopped or minimised
The big hits:

• Harrods: Attackers tried to break in but strong cyber defenses contained the incident.
• Co-op: Full ransomware deployment got prevented, though some disruption still happened.

The damage: Minimal operational problems, shows that good security works.

Key Trends & Observations

Most Common Attack Types (2025):

1. Ransomware attacks – Caused the worst operational chaos
2. Phishing & social engineering – Most common way attackers get in
3. Data breaches – Hit individuals and privacy hardest

Which Sectors Got Hit:

• Retail: Heavy targeting (M&S, Co-op, Harrods)
• Public Sector: High-value targets (NHS, schools, government agencies)
• Critical Infrastructure: Growing worry (water, energy, manufacturing)

Attack Group Activity:

• DragonForce: Claimed responsibility for retail sector attacks
• Scattered Spider: Sophisticated social engineering campaigns
• Black Basta: Critical infrastructure ransomware

Timeline Patterns:

• April-May 2025: Peak period for major retail attacks
• Ongoing: Persistent phishing and credential theft throughout the year

QuoStar Expert Insight

The threat landscape keeps changing at breakneck speed. Brandefense’s United Kingdom Threat Landscape Report 2025 shows a 423% surge in dark web mentions of UK targets. That signals 2025’s attacks were just the warm-up act. Criminal organisations are getting smarter, better funded, and bolder about targeting critical infrastructure and essential services.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the game in cyber security for both attackers and defenders. While 42% of UK CIOs expect more AI-driven threats according to Enterprise Times, organisations using AI for defense got major advantages in spotting threats and responding faster. The writing’s on the wall: businesses need to embrace AI-enhanced security or get left defenseless against next-generation attacks.

A Call to Action

Every day you wait to work on your cybersecurity increases your risk. The attackers aren’t taking breaks. Dark web forums are already planning 2026 campaigns, sharing intel about vulnerable UK businesses, and preparing new attack methods.
For small and medium businesses: You’re not too small to be a target. A Government Survey found 44% of businesses have basic skill gaps that cybercriminals routinely exploit. Start with immediate priority actions and think about partnering with a managed security service provider.
For large enterprises: Your size makes you a prime target. The sophisticated attacks against M&S, Co-op and JLR show that traditional perimeter defenses don’t work anymore. Zero-trust architecture and AI-enhanced detection aren’t nice-to-haves.
For public sector organizations: You hold society’s most sensitive data and provide essential services. The NHS Scotland and Legal Aid Agency breaches show that public trust, once lost, is incredibly hard to rebuild.

The Path Forward

Building comprehensive cybersecurity isn’t a one-and-done project but an ongoing journey of continuous improvement. Always seek expert advice, but recognise that cybersecurity requires ongoing investment, training and adaptation.
Think of cybersecurity as business insurance that pays dividends beyond risk mitigation. Organisations with mature cybersecurity programs often find improved operational efficiency, better customer trust, stronger competitive positioning and increased valuation in merger and acquisition scenarios.