Huge ransomware blackmail at Ahold Delhaize

A group of hackers with links to Russia is threatening to release huge amounts of (customer) data that they stole from Ahold Delhaize in the United States. The incident dates back to November, but is only now becoming public.

6 terabytes of data

In November, hackers stole millions of documents from Ahold Delhaize’s American servers in a ransomware attack. Hacker group INC Ransom, which is believed to have ties to Russia, claims to be responsible for the attack and is threatening to release six terabytes of stolen data.

The incident was reported to the authorities straight away and systems were taken offline as a precaution. It led to disruptions at American pharmacies and e-commerce services, but all activities were quickly resumed.

The hacker group has not yet made any concrete demands, but the threat to release the data points to a classic ransomware pattern, in which cyber criminals demand high ransoms in cryptocurrencies. The method shows similarities with attacks on hospitals in the United Kingdom, among others, in which sensitive patient data was leaked.

Ahold Delhaize states that the investigation is still ongoing, and therefore does not want to provide further details about the content of the stolen data. However, the company emphasises that those involved will be informed in accordance with legal obligations.