The real cost of a cyberattack: IKEA’s Black Friday 2024 case

On April 14, 2025, an IKEA reseller (Fourlis Group, operating in Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus) publicly disclosed the financial impact of a cyberattack that occurred in November 2024 — right in the middle of Black Friday season.

The ransomware incident led to:

• A temporary halt in online and in-store sales

• Losses estimated at over €20 million

• Significant recovery costs

• A hit to customer trust

Notably, no ransom was paid. Instead, the company restored systems from its own backups — a costly but secure choice in the long run. Fortunately, no personal data breach was reported.

👉 A wake-up call

This case shows how cyberattacks can have delayed yet devastating effects. The incident went mostly unnoticed at first, but months later, the true business impact became clear.

🔐 Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT concern — it’s a core strategic priority, especially during high-stakes commercial periods like Black Friday.

Source

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