Lidl confirms Portugal unaffected by European cyberattack

Lidl Portugal has reassured customers that their personal data was not affected by a cyberattack that compromised information belonging to users of the supermarket chain’s online stores in three European countries.

The Portuguese branch of the Germany supermarket chain confirmed that the attack targeted an external IT service provider, not Lidl’s own systems, and stressed that no Portuguese customer data was involved.

“Lidl Portugal and its customers were not affected, as we do not operate an online store,” the company said in a statement. “The stolen data relates only to customers of online shops in other countries. The affected customers have already been informed,” the company told Notícias ao Minuto news website.

The cyberattack affected data linked to Lidl’s online stores in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, although the company did not identify the third-party IT provider involved.

Lidl also emphasised that passwords, billing and delivery addresses, bank details and other payment information were not compromised, adding that customer accounts remained secure.

According to the retailer, the IT provider responded immediately after detecting the attack and implemented measures to restore the security of the affected systems.

Lidl said it is also cooperating with the relevant authorities as investigations continue to identify those responsible for the cyberattack.

Michael Bruxo

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.