Dutch police have not opened probe into Albert Heijn cyber incident

Dutch police and prosecutors have not opened a criminal investigation into the cyber incident disrupting supermarket chain Albert Heijn, police cybercrime chief Stan Duijf said on Thursday. The company has not filed a police report, and authorities say they see no reason to start an investigation on their own for now.[1]

Duijf told the television programme *Pauw & De Wit* that police urge victims of cyber incidents to report them as early as possible, so investigators can begin work. He said Albert Heijn’s statement that no “sensitive customer data” had been taken was an important factor in the decision not to launch a probe.

The company has not disclosed what happened or the incident’s cause. The disruption has affected its services and those of other Ahold Delhaize chains throughout the week. Websites, apps and customer services were taken offline as a precaution, while delays at distribution centres left some supermarket shelves empty.

Albert Heijn says deliveries to shops have resumed, but the websites of Albert Heijn and sister brands Etos and Gall & Gall, as well as US chain Stop & Shop, remained offline. Albert Heijn’s grocery deliveries were not expected to resume before Monday.

The company said it had reported the incident to the Netherlands’ National Cyber Security Centre and was in contact with relevant authorities. Its own investigation into the nature and cause of the incident is continuing, a spokeswoman said.