Police urge Ahold to file a report over cybersecurity breach

The Dutch police and Public Prosecutors Office have urged Ahold Delhaize, the parent company of Albert Heijn, to file a report regarding what the company continues to label as a "cybersecurity incident." According to the police, there is currently no criminal investigation into the incident. The company was invited to file a report to assist in the successful investigation.

Ahold Delhaize reported the incident to the National Cyber Security Centre as required by law, but a criminal investigation cannot commence without a report. The company stated it will work with relevant authorities but has not provided an explanation for not filing a report yet. The incident affected Ahold chains Etos and Gall & Gall, causing them to shut down several IT systems, making online shopping and deliveries impossible for several days.

Sector insiders revealed the crisis is costing Ahold Delhaize tens of millions of euros daily. Albert Heijn reported that its distribution centers are operating again, but its website and delivery services are still down, preventing customers from placing orders online or through the app. Fresh produce and deliveries of fresh products are scarce, yet deliveries of non-perishable products have resumed.

The police emphasized that cybercrime should be viewed as a criminal ecosystem, with multiple perpetrators and resources working together. Foreign servers from the US, Poland, Moldova, and Turkey were involved in the attack, but it does not necessarily mean those are the actual attack sources. Other Ahold chains, including Delhaize (Albert Heijn in Belgium) and Stop & Shop and Food Lion (Albert Heijn in the US), were also impacted. The cyberattack coincided with a separate incident targeting hundreds of French supermarkets.