Fridge cyberattack hits supermarkets across Europe

Cold storage equipment in grocery stores across at least seven European countries unexpectedly experienced elevated temperatures on Monday due to a cyberattack, according to reports. Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Sweden were among the affected nations. Stores were compelled to discard spoiled or at-risk items and replenish their refrigeration units with fresh products.

Major French retailers disclosed on October 12 that hundreds of store refrigeration systems had been compromised by a cyberattack, which also prompted them to discard food and raised concerns about food security. No party has claimed responsibility for either attack.

Carrefour Belgium reported disruptions in approximately 15 of its 700 stores following the latest cyberattack. Ikea Belgium's store in Mons, southwestern Belgium, also fell victim, with freezer temperatures suddenly rising early Monday. Belgian retailers Delhaize, Colruyt, and Intermarche encountered technical issues affecting their refrigeration units, with Delhaize reporting that four of its stores in Luxembourg were affected as well.

Industrial refrigeration company Sabcobel initiated security measures following the October 12 French attack; however, around 10 percent of its installations remained unsecured, impacting stores in Belgium. Musgrave, which owns Supervalu in Ireland, reported that 13 of its stores and a few corner shops in the Netherlands were hit by the cyberattack.

In Sweden, Coop confirmed that six of its roughly 800 stores were affected by the cyberincident, with the issue now resolved and refrigeration units functioning normally. Coop's spokesperson noted that the compromised stores were connected to a 4G mobile network, making them more susceptible to hackers compared to the updated 5G system.

Ica, a Swedish chain, reported that a limited number of its stores experienced refrigeration problems, though the company could not confirm a cyberattack as the cause. The stores were all connected to an external refrigeration control system provided by Danish manufacturer Danfoss, which was also targeted in the French attack on October 12. Ica referred all queries to Danfoss, whose response to the AFP's request for a comment has not been received.

In Finland, Kesko group's smaller grocery stores detected irregular temperatures, and Petri Kayhko, head of the company's corporate security, stated that interference via the network had not been ruled out. Finnish information security specialist Roni Kokkola from the National Cyber Security Centre at Traficom's Transport and Communications Agency mentioned that cyber interference in Europe has been increasing and spreading beyond France to other countries.

In Estonia, at least one supermarket had its refrigeration units' temperatures raised to 50°C by hackers, utilizing older Danfoss models similar to those affected in France.

Danfoss informed AFP that most affected equipment were legacy products lacking software or security updates. European Union food and agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen emphasized that food security requires heightened attention at all levels, referring to the exploitation of food as a reality.