Websites and online delivery services at grocery chains belonging to Dutch supermarket operator Ahold remained offline for a fifth day on Friday following a cybersecurity incident that prompted the company to shut down some of its own IT systems, Reuters reported.
Ahold's Albert Heijn chain, the Netherlands' largest, has been gradually recovering from the shutdown that began on 11 October, which disrupted distribution centres and led to empty produce shelves. Albert Heijn does not expect online delivery to resume before Sunday. Physical stores remain open.
Ahold's US brands include Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Hannaford and Food Lion, collectively one of the largest food retailers in the United States. An independent outlet, DysruptionHub, reported that customers with unfulfilled orders placed through those channels were promised refunds, and that some banners directed shoppers to Instacart, DoorDash and Uber Eats for delivery.
Ahold has avoided describing the incident as a hack, saying in a statement that no customer, associate and partner data was taken. The Netherlands' Justice Minister David van Weel called on the company on Friday to file a criminal complaint over the incident. The company said it was working with internal teams and external cybersecurity experts and engaging with authorities as necessary, and that its investigation is ongoing.
The incident shows how a cybersecurity failure can reach beyond a website into warehouses, distribution and product availability. The company has begun a controlled re-launch of certain systems, according to earlier company statements reported by DysruptionHub.