Albertsons Grocery Chain Gets Hacked: Customer and Employee Data Exposed

Albertsons is a major grocery chain in the United States. The company is based in Boise, Idaho, and oversees a huge range of different grocery stores throughout the country. Stores like Star Market, Tom Thumb, Acme, Safeway, Vons, Balduccis, Food Lover's Market, Shaw's, Albertsons, and more. There are over 2,253 grocery stores belonging to the Albertsons parent company throughout the country today, and more than 290,000 people are employed by this business, which brings in more than $76 billion in annual revenue. This massive grocery chain recently suffered a major data breach that may have exposed its customers and employees both. 

How Did the Attack Occur?

The Albertsons attack occurred when an individual managed to install malware on one of the company's systems. The malware was later used to gain entry into the file network, where the attacker was able to steal valuable personal data. The data stolen will be used to attack individuals and potentially earn a profit. The attack began on December 22, 2022, and persisted until December 24, 2022. During those three days, the hacker had access to a large number of company files and could have obtained a significant amount of customer and employee data. The confidential documents available were likely sent to others or copied for use later. 

What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?

We don't know the specifics about what information was taken during the Albertsons breach yet. What we do know is that some of it was protected and confidential individual data. That means that it's likely that either credit card information was taken, your Social Security numbers, or a combination of the two. The data stolen was likely private information submitted by customers and employees to Albertsons to make purchases, establish direct-deposit banking, and for other financial purposes. 

How Did Albertsons Admit to the Breach?

On April 21, 2023, Albertsons filed a notice with the Montana Attorney General about the data breach. In the report given to the Attorney General, the company explained that a malware attack occurred that led to the loss of confidential and private individual data. The company also sent out individual notices to anyone it believes is involved in this data breach. That means you will receive a letter in the mail explaining the details of the breach if your data is at risk of being involved. If you get a notice, you know your data may have been exposed. 

What Will Become of the Stolen Information?

We still don't know specifically what data was taken from Albertsons, but the information will likely be used to open fraudulent accounts, coordinate phishing attacks, and be sold to other individuals for a profit. All of these use cases could harm you if your data were part of the breach. 

What Should Affected Parties Do in the Aftermath of the Breach?

If you receive a personal notice from Albertsons informing you your data may have been exposed in this breach, you should take immediate action to protect your information. Begin by looking at your credit reports for each bureau and by monitoring your credit. You should also consider investing in a credit monitoring service to keep you safe over time.