Ahold Delhaize Cyberattack Knocks Brand Websites and Apps Offline in US and Europe
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TL;DR
Ahold Delhaize confirmed on October 19 that a cyberattack forced it to pull brand websites and apps offline. The Ahold Delhaize cyberattack hit most of its brands across Europe and the US. So far, the company says it has no evidence that sensitive data was stolen.
What Was Exposed
At this stage, nothing confirmed. “We have no evidence at this moment that suggests that any sensitive customer, associate or partner data was taken,” the company said. However, the investigation is still running. Because of that, this remains a cybersecurity incident, not a confirmed data breach.
How It Happened
Ahold Delhaize spotted suspicious activity in its IT infrastructure and called in outside experts. Their work “confirmed the suspicious activity resulted from the malicious actions of others.”
The company first disclosed the incident on October 12. Since then, it has declined to explain the attack method. In its words, it is “not sharing further details that could compromise security measures.” No ransomware group has claimed the attack yet.
Who Is Affected
Mainly online shoppers. The company “proactively took certain systems offline, including our brands’ websites and apps.” Meanwhile, all physical stores stayed open.
Albert Heijn Outage and Recovery
The Albert Heijn outage drew the most attention in the Netherlands. According to NL Times, Bonus cards stopped working and some stores reported empty shelves. Now the Albert Heijn website and app are back, and home deliveries should restart on Friday, October 23.
Elsewhere, recovery is uneven. Etos, Gall & Gall and Belgian e-commerce are back online. By contrast, The Register reports US brands such as Food Lion, Stop & Shop and Giant Food still had e-commerce down.
What Affected People Should Do
- Expect phishing emails and texts that use the Ahold Delhaize cyberattack as bait.
- Only use official brand apps and websites for orders and refunds.
- Never share passwords or card details with anyone who contacts you about the outage.
Company Response
Ahold Delhaize notified the Dutch National Cyber Security Centre within 24 hours. On October 19, it also filed a formal police report.
CEO Frans Muller defended the shutdown. “The investigation to date confirms this was the right decision,” he said. He added, “We take seriously the trust you place in us.”
Notably, this is not the group’s first incident. In November 2024, an attack disrupted its US brands, and INC Ransom later claimed it.
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