Fresh wave of fridge cyberattacks hits European supermarkets
Stores and supermarkets across Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden all reported abrupt temperature spikes in their fridges and freezers early Monday in an apparent cyberattack targeting refrigeration units. The incidents follow a similar attack that hit hundreds of supermarkets across France in October, triggering food loss and fires.
Supermarkets in Belgium, Estonia, Luxembourg, and Sweden reported issues with their freezer systems on Monday, similar to a cyberattack in France three weeks earlier. The attack caused some refrigeration systems to defrost, spoiling food and impacting businesses. Swedish chains ICA and Coop announced that a limited number of stores were affected, while Dutch chain Ahold Delhaize reported IT issues in several Belgian and Luxembourg stores.
Carrefour, Intermarche, and Spar were also targeted. Belgian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation. European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen called the attacks "a deliberate attempt to disrupt Europe's food supplies." The incidents highlighted the potential for cyberattacks to disrupt services, affect businesses, and impact citizens' daily lives.
Sweden's National Cybersecurity Center is investigating the issue, noting the need to update or patch exposed operational technology devices.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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