{
  "id": 17823010,
  "title": "Fridge cyberattack hits supermarkets across Europe",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/fridge-cyberattack-hits-supermarkets-across-europe-17823010",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-02T16:10:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2026/11/1569396/fridge-cyberattack-hits-supermarkets-across-europe"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\n\nCarrefour 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.\n\nIndustrial 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.\n\nIca, 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.\n\nIn 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.\n\nDanfoss 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.",
  "summary": "STOCKHOLM: Grocery stores in at least seven European countries saw temperatures in their cold cases soar on Monday, with several confirming they had been hit by a cyberattack similar to one three weeks ago in France.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 10,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Moneyweb",
        "title": "Supermarkets across Europe report new suspected freezer hack",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/supermarkets-across-europe-report-new-suspected-freezer-hack",
        "published": "2026-11-02T12:28:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Supermarket fridges in Europe hit by new cyberattack: ‘everything is destroyed’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/supermarket-fridges-in-europe-hit-by-new-cyberattack-everything-is",
        "published": "2026-11-02T14:18:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CNBC",
        "title": "Cyberattack on fridges hits supermarkets across Europe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/cyberattack-on-fridges-hits-supermarkets-across-europe-17816795",
        "published": "2026-11-02T15:35:38.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "Fridge cyberattack hits supermarkets across Europe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/fridge-cyberattack-hits-supermarkets-across-europe",
        "published": "2026-11-02T15:43:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euro Weekly News",
        "title": "Supermarket cyberattacks spread across Europe: Fridges turned up to 50ºC",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/supermarket-cyberattacks-spread-across-europe-fridges-turned-up-to",
        "published": "2026-11-02T15:53:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "Cyberattack on supermarket fridges sweeps across Europe, one month after similar incident in France",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/cyberattack-on-supermarket-fridges-sweeps-across-europe-one-month",
        "published": "2026-11-02T16:36:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "New cyberattack on supermarket fridges sweeps across Europe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/new-cyberattack-on-supermarket-fridges-sweeps-across-europe",
        "published": "2026-11-02T16:42:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBC Business",
        "title": "Another cyberattack on supermarket fridges sweeps Europe, leaving food spoiled",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/another-cyberattack-on-supermarket-fridges-sweeps-europe-leaving-food",
        "published": "2026-11-02T17:58:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Fridge cyberattack hits supermarkets across Europe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/fridge-cyberattack-hits-supermarkets-across-europe-17846352",
        "published": "2026-11-02T19:19:28.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}