Supermarkets across several European countries have been affected by suspected cyberattacks targeting their refrigeration and freezer systems, causing temperatures to rise and large quantities of food to spoil.
The incidents have been reported in countries including Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland and Estonia. Several major supermarket chains have experienced cooling-system disruptions, raising concerns about the security of technology used in the food retail industry.
According to reports, hackers allegedly gained unauthorised access to refrigeration control systems and remotely changed temperature settings. In some stores, freezer temperatures reportedly increased to unusually high levels, making it difficult to keep fresh and frozen products safe for consumption.
Several supermarket operators have confirmed problems with their refrigeration equipment. In Sweden, major retailers ICA and Coop reported disruptions at some of their stores. In Belgium and Luxembourg, supermarket groups including Delhaize and Colruyt also reported incidents affecting their cooling systems.
In Ireland, SuperValu reported refrigeration problems at several outlets, while an Estonian supermarket was also reportedly affected by a similar incident. Carrefour Belgium confirmed that some of its stores experienced disruptions.
As a precautionary measure, affected supermarkets removed chilled and frozen products from sale to protect customers from potentially spoiled food. The incidents have also caused financial losses for retailers and raised concerns about food safety and business operations.
The latest developments follow a similar cyberattack in France last month, when hundreds of supermarkets experienced problems with their refrigeration systems. The incident resulted in significant food losses and disrupted normal business activities.
