European supermarkets hit by new fridge cyber attack

European supermarkets have reported fresh cyber incidents targeting refrigeration and freezer systems, disrupting operations across Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden, with similar cases also reported in Estonia.Ahold Delhaize and Colruyt said on Monday that an IT incident overnight affected refrigeration systems in dozens of stores in Belgium and Luxembourg. Swedish grocery retailers ICA and Coop also reported similar incidents involving unusual temperature increases, with one store attributing the disruption to a cyberattack.
The latest incidents follow a cyberattack in France last month, when hackers allegedly took control of cooling units at hundreds of supermarkets. The attacks reportedly pushed temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius, causing fires and food losses.
Delhaize, the supermarket chain operated by Ahold Delhaize, detected temperature increases in its cooling systems on Monday, spokesperson Sarah De Meester said. The company is investigating the incident.Stephan Moelans, CEO of Belgian refrigeration company Sabcobel, which operates Delhaize’s cooling systems, told Belga news agency that the incident involved a cyberattack in which the units' evaporators were switched to defrost mode. However, Moelans' office declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

Cyberattack on fridges hits supermarkets across Europe https://t.co/nwoBUBV7Am

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Colruyt Group, which operates Spar stores in Belgium through a franchise system, also reported that five of its stores had experienced attacks targeting their refrigeration systems.The incidents highlight growing cybersecurity risks associated with connected devices. Refrigerators, heating systems, security cameras and alarm networks, which were once largely mechanical, can now be monitored and controlled remotely, creating potential entry points for cybercriminals.Authorities have not identified those responsible for last month's incidents in France, and no group has claimed responsibility.
Swedish supermarkets also affected
In Sweden, the head of the National Cybersecurity Centre, John Billow, told Reuters that authorities were investigating several incidents involving refrigeration systems at grocery stores across the country.An ICA store reported on social media that its refrigerators and freezers had been hacked overnight, with temperatures set to 50 degrees Celsius. The store later confirmed that it had reopened.
At an ICA Baronen store in Stockholm, a notice informed customers that all its freezers were out of service following a cyberattack. The store's sales manager said the incident occurred at around 2 am and was detected at 5:30 am.ICA said a limited number of its stores had been affected by an overnight incident that disrupted refrigeration and freezer systems.
Meanwhile, grocery retailer Coop told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that six of its stores had experienced similar incidents. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Billow said Sweden had identified several exposed operational technology devices in recent weeks, highlighting the need for businesses to update and patch vulnerable systems.An Estonian supermarket chain was also reportedly affected, with refrigeration temperatures set to 50 degrees Celsius, technology supplier Kitman Coldtech told public broadcaster ERR.Kitman CEO Jann Mutso said the incident had occurred on Monday morning but declined to identify the affected supermarket chain.The growing number of incidents across European countries has raised concerns about the vulnerability of remotely controlled refrigeration systems and the potential risks to food safety and supermarket operations.