Cyberattacks Disrupt Refrigeration Systems in Supermarkets Across Six European Countries

Supermarkets in six European nations reported that cyberattacks on refrigeration equipment caused temperatures in refrigerators and freezers to rise sharply on Monday, resulting in spoiled food and product withdrawals. The affected countries included Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Estonia and Finland.

In Ireland, SuperValu said that 13 of its 223 stores experienced the incident, which involved a specific model of refrigeration unit. The chain removed chilled and frozen items from sale while its owner, Musgrave, investigated the alert from its monitoring systems.

Swedish retailers ICA and Coop also reported disruptions. Coop confirmed six stores were impacted, and ICA noted a limited number of outlets faced overnight problems. At an ICA franchise in Stockholm, freezer temperatures reached 50 °C, and sales manager Engla Ingwall told Reuters, "There has been a cyberattack and all our freezers reached 50 degrees (Celsius). Everything is destroyed."

In Belgium, Carrefour said 15 of its 700 stores were affected, and a spokesperson identified the event as a cyberattack. Five Spar stores operated by Colruyt Group reported similar issues, and Ahold Delhaize, which runs supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg, said an overnight IT incident raised temperatures in dozens of stores. Sabcobel chief executive Stephan Moelans confirmed the attack involved switching evaporators to defrost mode.

Estonia saw at least one supermarket affected after hackers raised refrigeration temperatures to 50 °C, according to technology supplier Kitman Coldtech. In Finland, the Kesko group reported irregular temperatures in some smaller grocery stores and said it was investigating possible network interference.

The incidents follow a large-scale cyberattack on French supermarkets in October, which disrupted cooling systems at hundreds of locations and forced retailers to discard large quantities of perishable goods.

Cybersecurity researcher Tom Hegel of SentinelOne explained that retail chains are attractive targets because they operate extensive networks of refrigeration controllers, building-management systems and point-of-sale equipment, and because disruptions quickly affect thin grocery margins. A European Commission spokesperson said the events highlight the need to strengthen cybersecurity across the bloc, noting that such attacks can disrupt services and affect citizens' daily lives.