The M&S hack proves the danger of the ‘internet of things’

A man from John Lewis came yesterday to measure up for some window blinds. When he started struggling with the mobile broadband on his phone – which he required to be able to give a quote – I made what I thought was a straightforward offer for him to sign onto my home broadband. He almost went white with fear. He had been told never to do that, he said, for fear of the company ending up as Marks & Spencer has this week – victim of a cyber attack which has put its online sales out of action and prevented it taking contactless payments in its stores, as well as wiping millions off the value of its shares.

Gradually it is dawning on even the most uncritical of fans of new technology that putting absolutely everything online may just be more trouble than it is worth.