Cyberattacks Disrupt Supermarket Freezers Across Europe

Supermarket refrigeration systems in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg and Ireland have been disrupted by suspected cyberattacks, forcing retailers to discard spoiled food and investigate compromised cooling equipment. The incidents occurred overnight and affected dozens of stores, raising concerns about the security of internet-connected refrigeration systems.

According to reports from the BBC, around 40 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were affected. Thirteen SuperValu stores in Ireland and several branches of Sweden's ICA and Coop chains also experienced disruptions.

Delhaize, owned by Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize, confirmed that approximately 40 Belgian stores experienced the incident. The company described the disruption as a computer incident affecting refrigeration equipment.

Sarah De Meester, a spokesperson for Ahold Delhaize, confirmed that temperatures in the cooling systems had increased. The company said investigations were underway to establish what happened.

Belgian newspaper Le Soir reported that the disruption extended to several other retailers, including five Spar outlets, multiple Shop & Go convenience stores attached to Q8 service stations, and smaller Proxy Delhaize supermarkets.

Stephan Moelans, chief executive of refrigeration installation specialist Sabcobel, described the emergency response to Le Soir.

"We started mobilising technicians at 1am," said Stephan Moelans, chief executive of Sabcobel.

Technicians worked through the night to isolate affected refrigeration equipment from the electricity network.

"We spent all night and morning disconnecting the affected installations from the grid," said Stephan Moelans.

The financial damage has already become significant. A Delhaize branch in Hoeilaart, in Flemish Brabant, told Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws that spoiled products accounted for approximately €100,000 in losses. The estimate excluded additional financial damage associated with the store's temporary closure.

Carrefour Belgium reported that 15 of its stores had experienced the disruption, adding that immediate measures had been implemented to keep all its branches operating.

In Sweden, ICA confirmed that the incident affected stores operating outside its central network.

"We are aware that a limited number of stores were affected by an incident overnight which impacted their refrigeration and freezer systems," ICA said in a statement published by The Guardian.

The company also outlined its response to the affected branches.

"ICA is currently supporting the affected stores in managing the situation," an ICA spokesperson told the BBC.

A branch in Sjöbo, southern Sweden, described the incident on social media after its refrigeration equipment was compromised.

"Our refrigerators and freezers have been hacked overnight and they have set the temperature to 50 degrees," the store said.

The affected branch initially closed but subsequently reopened. Photographs from another ICA location on Odengatan in Stockholm showed an employee disposing of bags of spoiled food.

Swedish retailer Coop also confirmed disruptions at several locations. The company told the BBC that seven of its approximately 800 Swedish stores were affected.

"The situation is currently contained and under control," Coop said.

Beyond Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg, Bloomberg reported that a small number of Carrefour Belgium and Spar supermarkets had experienced similar refrigeration problems.

The incidents follow a major cyberattack against French supermarkets in October, when hackers reportedly manipulated cooling systems at as many as 700 stores. Intermarché, Coopérative U, Carrefour, Leclerc and Monoprix were among the affected retailers.

French investigators said the attackers remotely altered settings on thousands of refrigeration units, raising temperatures from as low as -27 degrees Celsius to above 50 degrees Celsius. The resulting disruption forced stores to dispose of substantial quantities of meat, dairy products and frozen food.

Some affected French supermarkets recorded losses ranging from tens of thousands of euros to more than €130,000. Two stores in Alsace reported combined losses of €270,000.

The French investigation also highlighted weaknesses in connected refrigeration equipment. Attackers reportedly compromised controllers, disabled alarm systems and manipulated thermostats or extended defrost cycles.

Danish equipment manufacturer Danfoss said it had identified security vulnerabilities the previous year and had long recommended that customers install software updates.

France's Paris prosecutor's office opened a formal investigation into the earlier incident, citing damage that included food losses and fires. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu also instructed the national cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, to investigate.

Belgium's and Sweden's national cybersecurity agencies are monitoring the latest incidents. Authorities have not identified who is responsible for the suspected attacks.