Supermarket freezers disrupted by cyberattacks in four European nations

Supermarkets in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg and Estonia reported refrigeration failures on Monday that appear to be the result of cyberattacks, forcing some outlets to discard spoiled food. The incidents follow a similar breach last month in France, where attackers remotely took control of refrigeration units in hundreds of stores, causing temperatures to rise sharply.

In Sweden, a spokesperson for the ICA Group said a limited number of stores were affected overnight, but did not provide exact figures. The ICA Kvantum branch in Sjöbo posted on Facebook that its fridges and freezers had been hacked and set to 50 °C, and that it was working to remove the compromised items. The Coop chain reported that six stores in central Sweden experienced similar problems.

Belgian retailer Delhaize said an “IT incident” impacted refrigeration systems in several dozen stores, primarily in Belgium with a few in Luxembourg. > "In the affected stores, the range of fresh and frozen products is temporarily somewhat limited. Our distribution centers are operating normally, and there has been no disruption to deliveries to our stores," said spokesperson Sarah De Meester.

Carrefour, also operating in Belgium, described the cyberattack on its refrigeration installations as having an “extremely limited impact,” affecting 15 of its more than 700 locations. In Estonia, Kitman Coldtech CEO Jann Mutso confirmed that a client’s cooling system was targeted, but the response was swift and damage was minimal. The Selver chain noted that one of its outlets was affected.

Analysts note that the French attacks appeared to target older refrigeration systems, suggesting a possible vulnerability in legacy technology.