Cyberattacks disrupt supermarket fridges across five European countries

Supermarkets in at least five European countries have been hit by a cyberattack that disrupted refrigeration systems, causing temperatures in some fridges and freezers to rise sharply. The affected countries include Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Luxembourg and Sweden, with several retailers confirming on Monday that their systems had been targeted by hackers.

The incident comes about three weeks after a similar cyberattack affected refrigeration systems in hundreds of supermarkets across France, forcing retailers to dispose of spoiled food and raising concerns about food security. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for either attack. In Belgium, Carrefour reported disruptions in about 15 of its 700 stores.

The company’s spokesman, Mich Vergauwen, confirmed that the incident was a cyberattack. An Ikea Belgium spokeswoman also said its store in Mons, southwestern Belgium, was affected, with freezer temperatures rising suddenly in the early hours of Monday. Other affected retailers included Delhaize, Colruyt and Intermarche. Delhaize also reported refrigeration problems in four of its stores in Luxembourg.

Belgian industrial refrigeration company Sabcobel said it had begun securing its installations following the October 12 attack in France. However, about 10 per cent of the systems had yet to be fixed, including some in stores affected by Monday’s incident. The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Stephan Moelans, told AFP that the impact would have been significantly worse if the security operation had not started earlier.

In Sweden, supermarket chain Coop confirmed that six of its approximately 800 stores were affected by a cyber incident on Monday. Its spokesman, Carlos Cancino, said the problem had been resolved and that refrigeration systems were operating normally. He added that the affected stores were connected to a 4G mobile network rather than the updated 5G system, making them more exposed to cyberattacks.

The company, however, said it did not know who was responsible. Another Swedish retailer, Ica, reported refrigeration problems in a limited number of stores but said it could not confirm whether they resulted from a cyberattack. Ica spokeswoman Helena Johansson said the affected stores were connected to an external refrigeration control system supplied by Danish manufacturer Danfoss, the same company whose equipment was reportedly involved in the October 12 incident in France.

Danfoss had yet to respond to AFP’s request for comment. In Finland, irregular temperatures were detected in some smaller grocery stores operated by the Kesko group. The company’s head of corporate security, Petri Kayhko, said investigations were ongoing and that interference through the network had not been ruled out. Roni Kokkola, an information security specialist at Finland’s National Cyber Security Centre, also said a cyberattack could not be excluded.

He noted that similar incidents had occurred elsewhere in Europe in recent months, adding that the spread of the attacks beyond France was expected. In Estonia, public broadcaster ERR reported that at least one supermarket had been targeted, with hackers allegedly raising refrigeration unit temperatures to 50 degrees Celsius. Jann Mutso, director of refrigeration systems company Kitman Coldtech, told ERR that the affected units were older Danfoss models similar to those involved in the French incident.

Following the attack in France, Danfoss said most of the affected equipment consisted of older products that no longer received software or security updates. The incidents have renewed concerns about vulnerabilities in food supply infrastructure and the potential consequences of cyberattacks on essential services. EU Commissioner for Food and Agriculture Christophe Hansen had previously warned that food security required greater attention at all levels, describing the exploitation of food-related systems as an emerging reality.