Supermarket Freezers in Belgium and Sweden Hit by Suspected Cyber-Attack

The update

Dozens of supermarkets in Belgium and Sweden have been hit overnight by a suspected cyber-attack on refrigerator and freezer systems. Around 40 Delhaize stores and 15 Carrefour stores were affected in Belgium, while a small number of ICA stores and several Coop shops were hit in Sweden, the chains said. One ICA store in southern Sweden said its freezers had been set to 50C, and thousands of euros of food was thrown away. It is not clear who was responsible.

Why it matters

It is the second such incident in Europe within weeks. French police said hackers seized control of cooling units at up to 700 supermarkets last month, pushing temperatures from minus 27C to well over 50C and causing millions of euros in food losses. Most supermarket cold aisles are connected to the internet for remote maintenance, underlining how connected systems can become a single point of failure for retailers across borders.

What to watch

Investigators will try to establish whether the same attackers and refrigeration controllers were involved as in France, and whether more chains report losses. Retailers are disconnecting affected installations while technicians check temperatures and stock safety.

Sources

• bbc.co.uk — confirms the affected Delhaize, Carrefour, ICA and Coop stores, the 50C freezer setting and food losses
• theguardian.com — confirms the cross-border scope, overnight temperature rises and the link to last month’s French supermarket attack