Home Bargains CISO Andrej Kurlovic calls for change in way retailers deal with security breaches

Retailers should spend more time sharing security breach findings and less time issuing polished, headline seeking press releases. So says Andrej Kurlovic, Chief Information Security Officer at discount retailer Home Bargains.

Kurlovic was speaking in the wake of high profile incidents involving M&S, Co-op and Harrods, with the former taking a eye watering £300 million profit hit from a cyber attack.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: "Another day brings another breach. M&S, Co-op, Jaguar Land Rover, Harrods ...What’s frustrating isn’t just that incidents keep happening - it’s that the details which could help prevent the next one are often locked away as closely guarded secrets. By staying quiet, we almost help attackers more than defenders."

He added: "Even if IOCs or behavioural patterns aren’t 100% perfect, sharing them quickly gives others a fighting chance. Waiting weeks for polished press releases does little to protect the rest of us."

"If GDPR can mandate a 72-hour breach notification, maybe it’s time we had something similar for publishing threat indicators. The faster we share, the faster we learn, and the harder we make it for attackers to recycle the same playbook."

Responding to his post, Tommie Quick, Director of IT - Appleby Westward Group, said: "Completely agree with this. I think a big factor in the general secrecy that surrounds some of these incidents are the basics that were missed or simple mistakes that let the bad actors in. Businesses don't want to disclose and suffer the embarrassment. I appreciate that some of these hacks were highly advanced, but this isn't always the case."

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Cyber security will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which are now closed for entries with our finalists and shortlists being announced last week, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.