Supermarket freezers across Europe disrupted in suspected cyberattacks, with temperatures set as high as 55°C
Supermarkets across at least six European countries reported refrigeration system disruptions on November 2, with suspected cyberattacks triggering defrost cycles, changing temperature settings and forcing some stores to discard large quantities of food.
Incidents were reported in Sweden, Estonia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland and the Netherlands, according to Swedish public broadcaster SVT. Similar attacks affected hundreds of French supermarkets in October.
In Sweden, several ICA and Coop stores reported problems with refrigerators and freezers. At an ICA store in Böda, on the island of Öland, the operator found water on the floor and said a freezer had reached 55°C (131°F) after its system switched to defrost mode.
Other stores were forced to discard spoiled food, while an ICA supermarket in Sjöbo temporarily closed.
Sweden's National Cybersecurity Center is working with affected businesses to investigate the incidents.
In Estonia, attackers accessed the control computer of a refrigeration system at a Selver supermarket and changed its temperature setting to 50°C (122°F), according to public broadcaster ERR.
The actual temperature rose by only two to three degrees before technicians restored normal operation within approximately 10–15 minutes. The store reported no damage.
Jann Mutso, head of refrigeration equipment company Kitman Coldtech, said the attackers appeared to be targeting vulnerabilities in older, network-connected refrigeration controllers.
Similar incidents were reported in Belgium and Luxembourg, where supermarket operator Ahold Delhaize said it was investigating unexpected temperature increases.
The disruptions follow an October 12 incident in France that affected hundreds of food stores, with attackers reportedly activating defrost cycles in commercial refrigeration systems.
The perpetrators and the method used to gain access have not been established. Swedish supermarket chains ICA and Coop had not confirmed that hacking caused all the reported refrigeration failures.