Cyberattack disables refrigeration systems in supermarkets across Europe
A coordinated hacking incident on Monday affected refrigeration units in supermarkets from Sweden to Belgium, forcing stores to discard perishable goods and raising concerns over the vulnerability of food supply chains.
A hacking attack on supermarket refrigeration systems spread across Europe on Monday, impacting stores from Sweden to Belgium and leading to the disposal of spoiled food. The intrusion caused freezers to rise to 50 °C, according to Engla Ingwall, sales manager at an ICA franchise in Stockholm, who said the breach was detected hours after it occurred at 2 a.m. GMT.
A spokesperson for ICA confirmed that a limited number of stores experienced problems with their refrigeration and freezer systems. Similar attacks were reported in France last month, where hackers took control of cooling units at hundreds of supermarkets, and a separate incident involving Ahold was also reported to police.
Authorities have not identified the perpetrators. Katrien Eggers, spokesperson for Belgium's Centre for Cybersecurity, said the source of the attack remains unknown and highlighted the growing risk posed by AI-enabled exploitation of IT vulnerabilities. "All IT systems are potentially vulnerable, and AI can now be used to successfully exploit these weaknesses — especially by sophisticated actors," she said.
The European Commission warned that the incidents represent a deliberate attempt to disrupt the food supply chain and undermine consumer confidence. EU agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen called the repeated attacks "deeply concerning" and urged a serious response.
Retail chains affected include ICA, Coop in Sweden, Colruyt Group in Belgium, and Musgrave in Ireland, which reported issues in 13 SuperValu stores. Danfoss, the Danish supplier of temperature control technology used in many of the affected units, said it is working with customers to implement fixes.
Cybersecurity researcher Tom Hegel of SentinelOne noted that retail environments are attractive targets because of extensive networks of refrigeration controllers and building management systems, and that attacks often leave little trace. He added that the lack of financial ransom demands in recent cases suggests motives such as sabotage rather than extortion.
A Belgian butcher described the incident as "very scary" after fridges in his store reached 18 °C, resulting in an estimated €15,000 loss of meat. He expressed frustration at the waste of food and urged authorities to address the emerging threat.