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Security

Ahold Delhaize takes systems offline after cybersecurity incident

Retail giant’s stores open but customers and employees report disruptions across Europe and the US

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Ahold Delhaize, one of the world’s largest food retail chains, confirmed today that it has taken some systems offline following a cybersecurity incident, with customers unable to use websites and apps in the Netherlands and Belgium and US employees locked out of scheduling and pay systems.

The company, which operates more than 9,400 stores across Europe, the United States and Indonesia under brands including Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Hannaford, Albert Heijn and Delhaize, said in a press release that it is “experiencing a security issue within its network.” Its teams are taking steps to assess and mitigate the issue, which includes taking some systems offline to protect them. The company stressed that stores remain open and serving customers.

Despite that assurance, employees at Stop & Shop in the US have reported trouble accessing schedules and pay stubs, and an internal memo shared by Food Lion workers flagged the incident as an IT outage, telling staff their “store may be unable to shop, stage, or hand off orders.” In the Netherlands, customers at Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall & Gall have been unable to use websites, apps and customer service platforms, and disruptions have also been reported at Delhaize in Belgium.

Ahold Delhaize reported net sales of over $104 billion in 2024 and employs nearly 400,000 people. The company apologised for any inconvenience caused. A spokesperson was not immediately available for comment on whether the incident affected both corporate and store systems worldwide or if devices had been encrypted. This is the second major cybersecurity incident for Ahold Delhaize in recent years, following a November 2024 ransomware attack that exposed the personal, financial and health information of over 2.2 million individuals and was claimed by the INC Ransom group.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Disruptions to online ordering and employee systems at a retailer serving 60 million customers weekly could cause significant operational and financial fallout.
  • The incident follows a previous ransomware attack in 2024 that led to a major data breach, raising questions about the company’s cybersecurity posture.
  • If this is another ransomware attack, it may signal that threat actors continue to target critical retail infrastructure for extortion.

Background

Ahold Delhaize is a multinational food retail group with a large presence in the US and Europe. Retailers are frequent targets of cyberattacks because disruptions to supply chains, e-commerce and payroll can force rapid ransom payments. The company’s 2024 breach by INC Ransom demonstrated that even large, well-resourced organisations remain vulnerable.

Key Perspectives

Ahold Delhaize: The company says it is taking precautionary measures to protect its infrastructure and that stores remain open. It has not disclosed the nature of the incident or whether data was compromised. Customers and employees: Users in the Netherlands and Belgium cannot access online services, while US staff report being locked out of scheduling and pay systems, creating inconvenience and potential lost wages. Critics/Skeptics: The lack of detail and the company’s history with the 2024 ransomware attack may cause concern that customer data could again be at risk. Without confirmation of encryption, the full scope of the incident remains unclear.

What to Watch

  • Whether Ahold Delhaize confirms this is a ransomware attack or another type of security breach.
  • The duration of system outages and whether they spread to more regions or stores.
  • Any regulatory disclosures or customer notifications if personal data is involved.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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