Supermarkets across several European countries are grappling with significant disruptions caused by apparent cyberattacks that targeted their refrigeration systems. The incidents, which occurred in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Estonia on Monday, have led to the spoilage of food products and forced some stores to discard affected inventory.
This latest wave of attacks follows a similar incident last month in France, where cybercriminals remotely compromised refrigeration systems in hundreds of supermarkets, causing temperatures to rise and leading to widespread food loss.
In Sweden, the ICA Group reported that a "limited number" of its stores experienced overnight issues with refrigeration and freezing systems. One branch in Sjöbo stated on Facebook that its fridges and freezers were hacked and set to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), necessitating the disposal of goods. The Coop chain also reported problems with refrigeration in six of its central Swedish stores.
The Delhaize chain confirmed an "IT incident" affected refrigeration systems in several dozen of its stores, primarily in Belgium and some in Luxembourg. A spokesperson noted that while fresh and frozen product availability was temporarily limited, distribution centers remained operational and deliveries were not disrupted.
Carrefour in Belgium reported a minimal impact from a cyberattack on its refrigeration units, affecting only 15 of its more than 700 stores.
In Estonia, Kitman Coldtech, a company that produces the affected technology, stated that one of its clients experienced a cyberattack where a computer controlling refrigeration was accessed and its temperature was raised. The company reported that the attack was contained within minutes with no significant damage. The Selver chain confirmed one of its outlets was affected.
The cyberattacks in France were noted to have targeted older systems.