Supplier data leak: What fashion retailers need to know and do, according to experts

Three European retailers — Dutch department store De Bijenkorf, Amsterdam eyewear label Ace & Tate and German online fashion platform About You — disclosed customer data leaks in August. These companies faced the consequences of a cyber incident at logistics service provider Ceva Logistics, even though their own systems were not directly hacked. The case illustrates a risk facing any retailer that outsources part of its operation, and raises two questions: how can a retailer prevent customer data from being exposed via a third party, and what action should be taken if something does go wrong?