Supermarkets in several European countries report freezer malfunctions

Supermarkets across several European countries reported malfunctions in their freezer systems on Monday, in what is described as an apparent cyberattack. The affected nations include Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Sweden. This follows a similar incident in France three weeks ago where unidentified actors were accused of hijacking refrigeration systems to defrost them.

Reported impacts by retailer

Several supermarket chains reported disruptions to their cooling systems:

• Sweden: The ICA Kvantum branch in Sjobo reported that temperatures in its systems were remotely increased to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). The ICA chain stated a "limited number" of shops were hit, and spokeswoman Helena Johansson said the company is "looking into what has happened and the scale of it." The Coop chain reported that six of its approximately 800 Swedish stores were impacted. Coop spokesman Carlos Cancino told the French AFP news agency, "Fridges and freezers have either stopped working entirely or have been partially impaired," though he added, "I haven't received any information that this is a cyberattack."
• Belgium and Luxembourg: Ahold Delhaize reported an overnight "IT incident" affected freezers in several stores.
• Ireland: The public broadcaster RTE reported that 13 supermarkets were impacted.
• Other chains: Carrefour, Intermarche, and Spar were also targeted. Carrefour's Belgium spokesman Mich Vergauwen stated, "It's a cyberattack… There's no other reason."

Official investigations and responses

Belgium's prosecutor's office has opened a criminal investigation into the attack, according to a spokesperson cited by Reuters.

European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen called the attacks "a deliberate attempt to disrupt Europe's food supplies." He stated that while "food security is not currently at risk, the food waste and impact on businesses are real."

A European Commission spokesperson added, "These incidents show that cyberattacks can disrupt services, affect businesses and directly affect citizens’ daily lives."

Security vulnerabilities

John Billow, head of Sweden's National Cybersecurity Center, said his department is investigating. He noted, "We have in recent weeks... identified that we have quite a lot of exposed operational technology devices in Sweden that we have been clear about the necessity to update or patch."

Operational technology includes devices such as refrigerators, heating systems, security cameras, and alarm networks. Many devices that were previously mechanical are now monitored and controlled remotely, which can create security vulnerabilities.

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Sources

• dw.com: European supermarkets targeted in reported cyberattack
• en.tempo.co: European Supermarkets Hit by Second Cyberattack on Freezer Systems - World En.tempo.co

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.