What: Cartier discloses customer data breach while confirming financial information remains secure, joining growing list of compromised retailers.

Why it is important: The breach follows a pattern of sophisticated cyber attacks targeting luxury retailers, with the sector facing unprecedented security challenges as evidenced by recent incidents at M&S, Harrods, and Dior.

Cartier, the prestigious luxury jeweller owned by Richemont, has disclosed a cybersecurity breach resulting in the theft of limited customer information. The unauthorised access exposed customer data including names, email addresses, and countries of residence, though the company confirmed that no passwords, credit card details, or banking information were compromised. The jeweller, whose clientele includes celebrities like Taylor Swift and Angelina Jolie, has implemented enhanced system protection measures and engaged external cybersecurity experts to address the situation. The incident prompted immediate notification to relevant authorities and the implementation of additional security protocols. This breach follows similar attacks on other major retailers, including Marks & Spencer and Victoria's Secret, with the latter forced to temporarily shut down its website. The North Face also reported a "credential stuffing" attack in April, while British retailer Marks & Spencer disclosed that a sophisticated cyberattack would cost approximately GBP 300 million in lost profits.

IADS Notes: The Cartier breach in June 2025 represents the latest in an escalating series of cyber attacks targeting luxury retailers. This follows Dior's Chinese customer database breach in May 2025, which exposed personal information while sparing financial data. The retail sector has seen a dramatic shift in cyber threat patterns, with M&S suffering a GBP 700 million market value loss in April 2025 due to the Scattered Spider attack. These incidents have transformed the industry's approach to cybersecurity, leading to a 10% increase in insurance premiums across the UK retail sector by May 2025, while research shows ransomware now accounts for 30% of retail security incidents, with average losses reaching GBP 1.4 million per attack.

Cartier tells customers some data stolen in cyberattack