European supermarkets hit by freezer hacks

Supermarkets in Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia experienced cyber attacks on their refrigeration systems on Monday, causing sudden temperature changes in fridges and freezers. Ahold Delhaize NV, Carrefour SA, and Spar reported issues in their Belgian stores, while Swedish, Irish, and Finnish chains also faced disruptions.

The incidents have raised concerns about a potential repeat of the French cyber attack last month, which affected 700 stores and forced the disposal of damaged food. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize confirmed an IT incident in several Delhaize shops, while Carrefour Belgium reported 15 out of its 700 outlets were affected.

Spar stated that around five of its stores were hit. In Ireland, Musgrave Group reported a cyber incident affecting 13 of its SuperValu sites. Several ICA and Coop supermarkets in Sweden experienced higher freezer temperatures, suspecting a hack. ICA Sverige stated they are aware of the incident and are providing support to affected stores.

Coop confirmed a hack in seven of its stores. In Finland, Kesko Oyj reported temperature anomalies in a few smaller grocery stores, while Petri Käyhkö, head of corporate security, suggested an IT-related incident. Estonia's supermarkets were also affected, according to local media reports. Last month, a cyber attack caused service outages and empty shelves in Ahold Delhaize stores across the Netherlands, but the company has not disclosed the cause of the problem.

In the US, the Pentagon reported investigating similar food storage freezer failures at military facilities.