European Stores Hit By Refrigerator Hacks

Retailers across Europe faced disruptions to their cold storage systems on Monday, Nov. 2, as a series of incidents targeted refrigeration units. The events appear to be cyberattacks that altered temperature settings, leading to food spoilage in affected locations.

Officials from grocery companies in Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, The Netherlands, and Estonia confirmed the malfunctions to ABC News and local public broadcasters. The attacks generally targeted smaller stores, affecting a limited number of locations within each major chain.

In Sweden, ICA stated that an overnight incident affected a small number of stores operating outside its central network. A store in Sjöbo posted on social media that its refrigerators and freezers were hacked and the temperature was set to 50 degrees. Coop confirmed that seven of its more than 800 stores were affected. A Coop spokesperson described the situation as contained and under control.

The Swedish incidents occurred ahead of a planned system upgrade. That upgrade had been in development following a similar issue in France last month, where hundreds of stores had their temperatures set to 50 degrees Celsius, or 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of the systems targeted in France were reportedly using outdated software.

In Belgium, Delhaize and Carrefour reported impacts. A Carrefour spokesperson noted that 15 of its 700 stores were affected, primarily in freezer units. All stores remained open. Delhaize referred to the event as an IT incident.

In Ireland, Musgrave, which owns SuperValu, told RTÉ that 13 stores were affected by a suspected cyberattack targeting a specific refrigeration model. In the Netherlands, Danfoss told NOS that seventeen facilities using its systems, including frozen product storage and butcher shops, were affected. Danfoss systems were also targeted during the French incidents in October.

Similar attacks hit the United States in August. Reuters reported that at least six military commissaries experienced comparable issues. The Pentagon is currently investigating those incidents.