Hannaford’s Investigation Into Cybersecurity Breach Continues
Hannaford Supermarkets has released a statement regarding its recent cybersecurity issue.
Ahold Delhaize USA, Hannaford’s parent company, detected a cybersecurity issue in its network during the first week of November. Hannaford was among the company's affected brands, experiencing issues with pharmacy orders and online ordering.
Immediately upon detecting the issue, Ahold Delhaize USA's security teams began an investigation with the assistance of external cybersecurity experts. The company also notified law enforcement. While Ahold Delhaize USA’s stores remained open during incident, the company was forced to take some systems offline to help protect them.
After being offline for 12 days, Hannaford servers are now back up, but the retailer is informing customers that details regarding the cybersecurity issue are not available, as the investigation is still ongoing.
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“We hope our customers and associates understand that we are taking steps to conduct a thorough investigation," said a company statement dated Nov. 20. "We deeply value the relationship with our customers and appreciate their patience. We recognize the high trust that is placed in us to nourish their families and communities.
"During this important time of year, we intend to do what we do best: Our caring associates are focused on our customers – and doing everything we can to meet their needs."
Hannaford operates almost 190 stores, most with full-service pharmacies, in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. Its parent company, Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is No. 11 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named the company one of its Retailers of the Century and one of its 10 Most Sustainable Grocers.
