Several European supermarket chains detected abnormal temperature increases in refrigeration systems overnight from Sunday into Monday, affecting equipment used to preserve food. The incidents were reported in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Estonia and Ireland, and authorities are investigating them as possible cyberattacks.
In Sweden, Coop and ICA confirmed problems at multiple stores. At one ICA supermarket in Sjöbo, refrigeration systems were reportedly manipulated remotely until temperatures reached 50 degrees Celsius. Staff had to remove products that could no longer be considered safe to store.
Ahold Delhaize confirmed a cyber incident affecting refrigeration equipment at dozens of stores in Belgium and Luxembourg. In Belgium alone, around 40 Delhaize locations were affected, along with 15 Carrefour supermarkets and five Spar stores. Belgian refrigeration company Sabcobel sent teams out during the night to disconnect affected equipment from the network. According to the company’s representative, Stephan Moelans, the attackers apparently activated defrost cycles remotely, causing temperatures to rise.
In Estonia, a refrigeration company confirmed unauthorized access to a computer controlling temperatures. In Ireland, 13 SuperValu supermarkets reported disruptions affecting their refrigeration equipment.
The incidents follow a major cyberattack in France several weeks ago that affected the refrigeration systems of up to 700 supermarkets, including stores operated by Intermarché, Carrefour, Leclerc, Monoprix and Coopérative U. In that case, attackers remotely changed equipment settings, raising temperatures from as low as 27 degrees below zero to above 50 degrees Celsius. They also disabled alarms and extended defrost cycles, putting meat, dairy products and frozen goods at risk.
Some French stores reported losses exceeding 130,000 euros, while two establishments in Alsace recorded combined food losses of around 270,000 euros.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the origin of the latest incidents and whether they form part of a coordinated campaign. No organization has been publicly identified as responsible, and no direct connection has been confirmed between all the cases.
Sources: Pplware.