An important cybersecurity alert was issued by the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on Thursday 22nd October.
Two critical security vulnerabilities have been identified in PHP, software widely used to operate websites and online services. PHP (PHP Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely used server-side scripting language designed for web development. It runs on a web server to generate dynamic page content, interact with databases, and handle backend application logic before delivering the final HTML output to a user's browser. PHP is also used in a range of other products.
These vulnerabilities could potentially allow cybercriminals to gain unauthorised access to affected systems, including websites and online applications used by businesses.
What should retailers do?
If your business operates a website, online ordering platform or other web-based systems, we recommend contacting your IT or website provider to confirm whether your systems are affected and that the necessary security updates have been applied.
Retailers using third-party providers should seek reassurance that appropriate action has been taken.
For further information, please see the official National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) guidance:https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/critical-security-issue-affecting-php
