Dozens of smart fridges 'hacked' in latest cyberattack

Dozens of Belgian grocery stores, as well as an Ikea superstore, experienced unusually high refrigerator temperatures on Monday, with several firms confirming a cyberattack had targeted them. This incident is part of a growing trend of cyberattacks affecting supermarkets across Europe.

In Sweden, Ica and Coop chains reported temperatures in their refrigerators and freezers rising early Monday. The cause remains unknown, but the incident led to food spoilage and heightened food security concerns.

Carrefour Belgium reported disruptions in about 15 of its 700 stores, attributing the issue to a cyberattack. Mich Vergauwen, a spokesman for Carrefour Belgium, stated that no other reason exists for the cyberattack.

Ikea Belgium also fell victim to a cyberattack, affecting its store in Mons, southwestern Belgium. The temperature of freezers suddenly rose in the early hours of Monday. It is the sole Ikea store impacted due to using a different service provider than others in Belgium, according to the spokeswoman.

Delhaize supermarket chain confirmed that dozens of its stores' refrigeration systems were affected by an IT incident. The company did not disclose the cause, but an AFP correspondent visiting a shop in Bortmeerbeek, northeast of Brussels, observed refrigerators and freezers empty with a sign blaming hackers. Delhaize apologized to customers due to the cyberattack, stating that no products would be available on refrigerated or freezer shelves.

Colruyt and Intermarche supermarket chains also reported technical problems affecting fridges in several stores, though they could not confirm if a cyberattack was suspected. The incidents occurred overnight from Sunday to Monday, with some cases affecting only a single refrigerator.

In Sweden, more than 500 supermarkets were targeted in a cyberattack on October 12. The equipment used in these supermarkets was provided by Danish company Danfoss.