Dozens of supermarkets across seven European countries have been hit by a cyber-attack that disrupted their refrigeration systems, sending temperatures soaring and causing chaos in stores. Around 40 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were affected, with the attack also impacting outlets in Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia, and Finland.
The attackers managed to switch the refrigerators' evaporators to defrost mode, causing temperatures to spike as high as 50C (122F) in some locations. This attack comes on the heels of a similar incident last month targeting hundreds of French supermarkets, which led to millions of euros worth of food being discarded.
Stephan Moelans, CEO of Sabcobel, the Belgian company responsible for some of the affected refrigeration units, confirmed the cyber-attack. He stated that efforts are being made to disconnect compromised units from the network. Moelans noted that after the French incident, the company had been working to safeguard customers' fridges, though he stressed that physical changes were needed in addition to software updates.
Most European supermarkets are connected to the internet for remote maintenance and troubleshooting. Moelans pointed out that many customers had moved to managing their fridges over a secure internet connection following the French attack.
Authorities in the US are looking into refrigeration problems at several military bases in August and are collaborating with French officials to see if there's a link with these European incidents. Meanwhile, national cyber-security agencies in Belgium and Sweden are keeping a close watch. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre is also involved, working with international partners to understand the full scope of the incident, although no UK supermarkets have reported issues.
In Flanders, northern Belgium, a Delhaize branch in Hoeilaart saw a loss of €100,000 (£83,500) worth of produce, not counting further losses due to shop closures. Carrefour, a French-owned supermarket, reported that 15 of its Belgian stores were targeted, but swift action kept all shops running.
A spokesperson for Colruyt Group, which operates Spar stores in Belgium, confirmed that five shops experienced attacks on their fridge systems. In Sweden, several ICA and Coop shops were affected. An ICA spokesperson mentioned that a small number of stores outside ICA's central network were hit, and they are providing support to handle the situation.
One ICA branch in Sjöbo, southern Sweden, posted on social media about their refrigerators and freezers being hacked, with temperatures reaching 50 degrees. The store temporarily closed but has since reopened. Seven out of 800 Coop stores in Sweden were also impacted, but the situation is now under control.
In Finland, some K-stores reported refrigerator malfunctions. The owner of the supermarket chain Kesko said security experts are investigating the cause. The attack also hit shops in Ireland, the Netherlands, and Estonia. In Ireland, 13 SuperValu supermarkets were affected. A Musgrave Group spokesman confirmed a cyber incident involving a specific refrigerator model.
In the Netherlands, Danish manufacturer Danfoss reported that freezing and cooling systems of at least 17 companies were attacked, disrupting butcher shops and small neighborhood stores. Estonia's Selver supermarket also faced disruptions, with other companies in the country reporting similar issues.
