Cyberattacks Hit Grocery Stores Across Europe, Disrupt Freezer Systems
Hackers Target Grocery Store Freezers Across Multiple European Countries
The incidents were reported on Monday across Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. The attacks came just three weeks after a similar cyber incident disrupted grocery stores across France on October 12, forcing hundreds of outlets to throw away food.
No group has claimed responsibility for either incident so far.
European Union Food and Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen said the bloc was taking the repeated incidents “very seriously”, describing them as deeply concerning.
He said the attacks appeared to be deliberate attempts to disrupt the European food supply chain and undermine consumer confidence, adding that the incidents served as a warning that required serious attention.
In Belgium, dozens of stores belonging to different supermarket chains reported refrigeration problems. Federal prosecutors have launched an investigation, although they have not formally classified the incident as a cyberattack.
However, some retailers were more certain about the cause. Carrefour Belgium spokesman Mich Vergauwen said the disruption was the result of a cyberattack, reporting problems at around 15 of its 700 stores.
Ikea Belgium also confirmed that its store in Mons, southwestern Belgium, had been targeted, causing freezer temperatures to rise suddenly during the early hours of Monday.
Multiple Retailers Report Disruptions
Belgian industrial refrigeration company Sabcobel said it had started securing its installations following the October 12 attack in France. However, around 10 percent of its systems had still not been fixed, including some installations at stores affected on Monday.
Supermarket chains Delhaize, Colruyt and Intermarche also reported technical problems with refrigeration systems at dozens of Belgian stores. Four Delhaize outlets in Luxembourg were affected as well.
In Ireland, Musgrave, the owner of Supervalu, said 13 of its stores had been affected by a cyber incident. A small number of corner shops in the Netherlands also experienced disruptions.
Portugal’s Mosqueteiros group confirmed cyberattack-related incidents at seven Intermarche stores, saying the attack appeared to have targeted an external service provider responsible for managing refrigeration systems.
In Sweden, supermarket chain Coop confirmed that six of its approximately 800 stores had been affected.
Company spokesman Carlos Cancino said the incident had been resolved and the refrigerators and freezers were functioning normally again. He added that the affected stores were connected to a 4G mobile network rather than the updated 5G system, making them more exposed to hackers.
Concerns Over Refrigeration System Vulnerabilities
Swedish retailer Ica also reported refrigeration problems at a limited number of stores, although it did not confirm a cyberattack.
According to company spokeswoman Helena Johansson, the affected outlets were connected to an external refrigeration control system supplied by Danish manufacturer Danfoss. The same supplier had been targeted in the October 12 attack on French retailers.
In Finland, irregular temperatures were detected in several smaller grocery stores belonging to the Kesko group. The company said it was investigating the cause and had not ruled out interference through the network.
Roni Kokkola, an information security specialist at Finland’s National Cyber Security Centre, also said cyber interference could not be ruled out.
He noted that similar incidents had occurred across Europe in recent months, adding that the spread of such attacks beyond France had been anticipated. He also warned that vulnerabilities were increasingly being exploited more actively and rapidly.
Meanwhile, Estonia’s public broadcaster ERR reported that hackers had targeted at least one supermarket, raising the temperature in its refrigeration units to 50 degrees Celsius.
Jann Mutso, director of refrigeration systems manufacturer and distributor Kitman Coldtech, told ERR that the affected units were older Danfoss models similar to those targeted in France.
He said the pattern of the incident appeared to be the same.
The incidents have raised concerns over the security of interconnected refrigeration systems used by supermarkets, as cyberattacks on such infrastructure can disrupt food storage and lead to significant losses for retailers.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.