Do Son 
A cyberattack on the European operator of IKEA stores cost the company tens of millions of dollars. According to a recently published financial report by the Fourlis Group, cybercriminals struck just two days before last year’s Black Friday, causing temporary disruptions across retail locations in four countries.
The disclosed details reveal that the attackers infiltrated systems operated by the company responsible for IKEA stores in Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Romania. While the scale and vector of the attack were initially withheld, it has now been confirmed that the furniture division of the Fourlis Group bore the brunt of the assault.
Local media report that the intrusion persisted for over two weeks, during which significant disruptions affected both e-commerce operations and customer data management systems. Financial losses have been estimated at €15 million (approximately $17 million) in missed sales revenue.
“At the end of 2024, we faced a cybersecurity incident that temporarily disrupted our operations. However, we responded swiftly and effectively, securing our data, restoring our systems, and maintaining the Group’s profitability,” said the CEO of Fourlis Group in an official statement. By March 2025, all impacted platforms had been fully restored, and the aftermath of the attack was completely mitigated.
Reportedly, the company refused to pay the ransom demanded by the attackers, opting instead to invest in upgrading its IT infrastructure. Though such decisions often prompt cybercriminals to leak stolen data as retaliation, no group has yet claimed responsibility for this particular incident.
This is not the first time IKEA stores have been targeted by cybercriminals. In 2022, the Vice Society group breached store systems in Morocco and Kuwait, subsequently publishing the stolen data on the dark web.
