Grocery store hack could have broader implications, national security expert says
Customers attempting to shop online with Giant, Stop & Shop and Food Lion on Wednesday found some websites and mobile apps unavailable as parent company Ahold Delhaize responded to a cybersecurity incident affecting its network.
The company said it is working to restore affected systems after taking some services offline. Stores remain open, and Ahold Delhaize says it has found no evidence that customer data was stolen.
For some shoppers, the most visible impact was the temporary loss of digital tools such as coupons and online ordering.
#groceryshopping #cybersecurity #cyberattack #hacker
https://6abc.com/post/grocery-store-hack-could-have-broader-implications-national-security-expert-says/19939401/
Well, if you try to do some online grocery shopping today with Giant,
Stop and Shop, or Food Lion,
you may have noticed their websites and apps were unavailable.
Well, tonight, the company that owns those chains saying it
is working to restore systems following a cybersecurity incident.
Action News reporter Leland Pinder, live for us right here
in South Philadelphia with what you need to know about this.
Leland.
Yeah, well, great question.
Now, who did this and why?
And this may just seem like a minor inconvenience
for grocery store shoppers,
but one national security expert believes
this could be a larger security concern
and maybe just a test of infrastructure vulnerabilities.
There's a different breach every other day, it feels like.
Giant customers looking for digital coupons and online ordering
are instead finding the grocery store's app is offline.
It's temporarily down for maintenance.
The grocery store's parent company, Ahold Delhaize,
says it's navigating a confirmed
cybersecurity incident affecting its network.
However, stores remain open, and so far there's no evidence
of stolen customer data, according to the company.
There have also been no demands for ransom.
There is one potential culprit that spends a lot
of time going after targets like energy facilities,
and now this is like a food source facility, right?
And that would be Iran.
While no one has claimed responsibility,
national security expert Jack Tamaki points out,
Iran has spent years probing dams, power plants,
ports, and other critical American infrastructure.
The nation's food supply could be viewed as another target.
This is about hardening systems. This is about everything as a target.
While giant customers wait for the app to come back,
some wonder if the convenience is worth the risk.
It's scary because all of us shoppers are utilizing these apps
and shopping with the intention of trying to make it more efficient.
So, yeah, it makes you double think if,
like, that's a safe way to be shopping.
Yeah, and as you mentioned,
their Food Lion and Stop & Shop also affected by this incident.
Ahold Delhaize says they are trying
to gradually bring back their systems online.
We have their full statement
on this situation on our website at 6abc.com.
But for now, we're live here in South Philadelphia,
Leland Pinder for Action News at 10 on PHL 17 Gray.
Okay, Leland, thank you for that report.