In an alarming trend shaking the business world, major companies and government agencies across the U.S., U.K., and the European Union are under siege by a surge of cyberattacks. These digital assaults have disrupted services, compromised customer data, and left a trail of ransomware demands, costing billions and raising concerns over cyber preparedness in an increasingly connected world.
From luxury fashion houses to food distributors, no sector appears safe. In the first half of 2025 alone, brands such as Adidas, Victoria’s Secret, Richemont (Cartier), Salesforce, and Clorox have reported serious cybersecurity breaches. The incidents range from data leaks and operational outages to full-on ransomware lockouts.
In January, Polish game developer Big Cheese Studio was hit hard when hackers infiltrated its internal game code systems and accessed employee data. The attackers demanded a 100,000 zloty ransom in cryptocurrency. Around the same time, Smiths Group in the UK confirmed unauthorized access to its IT systems.
In the U.S., MGM Resorts International agreed to a $45 million settlement for past breaches, while Clorox and DaVita fought back against attacks that disrupted their supply chains and healthcare services respectively.
Cyber criminals are also targeting public institutions. In April, the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) admitted that hackers accessed employee emails, and a whistleblower alleged a serious breach at the National Labor Relations Board, potentially linked to Elon Musk’s tech team.
The attacks have not spared retailers either. British chains Marks & Spencer, Harrods, and the Co-op Group suffered breaches that halted online orders and exposed customer data. Meanwhile, Germany’s Adidas disclosed that consumer data was accessed through a third-party service.
By June, the crisis showed no sign of slowing. Telefonica in Spain investigated a data leak affecting a million customers in Peru. Swiss banking giants UBS and Pictet were affected by a data leak that, while reportedly sparing client data, exposed thousands of employee records. In the U.S., United Natural Foods, Salesforce, and Philadelphia Insurance faced severe operational disruptions.
Even the Washington Post fell victim, reporting unauthorized access to journalists’ emails.
Experts say this growing trend reflects the sophistication of threat actors and the widespread vulnerabilities in enterprise systems. The use of ransomware and phishing to infiltrate critical infrastructure is not only escalating in frequency but also in impact—both financially and reputationally.
As cybercrime evolves, companies are being urged to boost cybersecurity defenses, implement better employee training, and invest in secure third-party vendor protocols. Failure to do so may cost them more than just data—it could mean a total collapse of trust.
