New fridge cyberattack hits Belgium, Sweden stores

On Monday, refrigerators in several Belgian grocery stores and an Ikea superstore experienced unusually high temperatures, leading to several firms confirming a cyberattack. This incident is part of a series of cyberattacks targeting European supermarkets. In Sweden, ICA and Coop supermarkets reported that their refrigerators and freezers had overheated early Monday, forcing them to discard spoiled food due to the suspected cyberattack.

French retailers announced on October 12 that over 500 supermarkets had experienced a cyberattack, which resulted in the disposal of contaminated food and heightened food safety concerns. Carrefour Belgium reported disruptions in about 15 of its 700 stores, attributing the issue to a cyberattack. Similarly, Ikea Belgium's store in Mons suffered a cyberattack, causing freezer temperatures to suddenly rise in the early hours of Monday.

This was the only Ikea store affected in Belgium, as it utilized a distinct service provider. Delhaize, another supermarket chain, stated that dozens of its stores experienced an IT incident affecting refrigeration systems, though the exact cause remained unspecified. Upon visiting a shop in Bortmeerbeek, northeast of Brussels, an AFP correspondent observed empty refrigerators and freezers, with a "hacker" sign identifying the cause.

Colruyt and Intermarche supermarkets also reported technical issues impacting fridges in five and 15 stores, respectively, though they could not confirm if a cyberattack was suspected. The issue extended beyond Belgium, with Swedish chains ICA and Coop investigating the cause of their temperature surges, which led to the disposal of food.

One ICA store in Sjobo, southern Sweden, reported that its fridges and freezers had been hacked and set to 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). Over 500 supermarkets were targeted in the French cyberattack on October 12, with the affected equipment provided by Danish company Danfoss.