Fridge cyberattack hits supermarkets across Europe
BRUSSELS: Grocery stores across at least nine European countries were hit Monday by a suspected cyberattack on their freezer systems, prompting the EU to warn of a deliberate attempt to disrupt the bloc’s food supply chain.
Supermarkets in at least nine European countries experienced refrigeration issues on Monday due to a suspected cyberattack on their freezer systems, the EU has warned that this could be a deliberate attempt to disrupt the food supply chain. Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden all reported problems that forced some retailers to discard food.
The attack follows a similar incident in France three weeks ago, where hundreds of grocery stores discarded spoiled stock. No one has taken responsibility for the attacks. EU Food and Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen emphasized that these incidents are serious and a deliberate attempt to disrupt the food supply chain and undermine consumer confidence.
Italy's government plans to hold a cybersecurity meeting with intelligence services to discuss the attacks. Belgian grocery chain Carrefour reported disruptions in about 15 of its 700 stores. Ikea in Belgium also experienced a cyberattack at its Mons outlet, causing freezer temperatures to rise. Belgian refrigeration company Sabcobel is securing its installations after the French attack, but some systems were not upgraded and were affected.
Delhaize, Colruyt, and Intermarche reported refrigeration problems at stores in Belgium and Luxembourg. In Ireland, Supervalu stores were impacted by what the retailer described as a cyber incident. Two Intermarche stores in Portugal were affected by the cyberattack, linked to an external service provider managing refrigeration systems.
Swedish chain Coop confirmed six out of its 800 stores were hit, while Finnish grocery group Kesko is investigating irregular temperatures in some of its smaller stores. Estonian hackers raised refrigeration unit temperatures to 50°C, targeting older models similar to those in the French attack.
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