Cyberattackers Raise Temperatures in European Grocery Freezers

Shoppers in Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Estonia found spoiled food in refrigerated sections on Monday after cyberattacks altered the temperature settings of store equipment. Officials from affected chains confirmed that hackers targeted specific cooling units, causing temperatures to spike and ruining perishable goods.

The attacks generally affected smaller retail locations. In Sweden, the grocery chain Coop said the incident hit seven out of its more than 800 stores. A spokesperson for Coop described the situation as contained and under control. The company noted the problem arose ahead of a planned system upgrade, a measure already being considered due to a similar hack in France the previous month.

In France last month, hundreds of stores experienced a similar breach where refrigerators and freezers were set to 50 degrees Celsius, or 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of those systems reportedly ran on outdated software. Swedish chain ICA confirmed that a small number of stores operating outside its central network were affected overnight. One ICA location in Sjöbo posted on social media that its units had been hacked and set to 50 degrees.

Belgian chains Delhaize and Carrefour also reported issues. Delhaize labeled the event an IT incident. A Carrefour spokesperson stated that the impact was very limited, with 15 of the company's 700 stores affected. All Carrefour stores remained open because the problem mainly involved specific freezer units.

In Ireland, Musgrave, the owner of the SuperValu chain, told broadcaster RTÉ that 13 stores were affected by a suspected attack on a specific refrigeration model. In the Netherlands, refrigeration provider Danfoss told public broadcaster NOS that seventeen facilities using its systems were affected. These facilities included frozen product storage areas and butcher shops.

The European incidents mirror attacks that occurred in the United States in August. According to Reuters, at least six military commissaries experienced similar cyberattacks. The Pentagon is currently investigating those U.S. incidents, which shared characteristics with the recent breaches in France and across Europe.