Supermarkets in several European countries have reported suspected cyberattacks affecting their refrigeration systems. Stores in Belgium, Sweden, Luxembourg and Estonia experienced sudden changes to the temperatures of fridges and freezers, according to local reports cited by Bloomberg and Reuters.
An Ica Kvantum store in Sweden said on Facebook that its refrigeration units had been accessed overnight and that their temperatures were remotely raised to 50 degrees Celsius. Swedish supermarket chain Coop also confirmed that unauthorized actors had accessed and altered cooling systems at a small number of its stores.
Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize said an IT incident changed the temperatures of refrigeration units at dozens of supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg. The full extent of the incident has not yet been confirmed.
Many supermarket refrigeration systems are connected to the internet for remote maintenance and alerts about technical failures. The reported incidents are raising concerns about the potential effect of security weaknesses on food supply chains.
The reports follow an apparent cyberattack that affected hundreds of refrigerator units at French supermarkets the previous month. The resulting food spoilage was estimated to be worth millions of euros. A series of freezer malfunctions at US military bases has also been suspected to involve cyberattacks.
Sources: The Verge.