Suspected cyberattacks trigger supermarket fridge failures across Europe

Suspected cyberattacks have triggered temperatures to rise in grocery store refrigeration systems in a growing number of countries across Europe.

Overnight temperature spikes were recorded in stores in Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden. On Monday, retailers and authorities pointed to alleged cyberattacks that underscored the vulnerability of systems that once largely operated mechanically.

The head of ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sweden’s national cybersecurity centre, John Billow, confirmed on Monday to the Reuters news agency that the centre ⁠⁠⁠⁠is responding to ⁠⁠⁠⁠multiple incidents affecting store cooling systems.

“We have in recent weeks … identified that we have quite a lot of exposed operational technology devices in Sweden that we have been clear about the necessity to update or patch,” he said.

The temperature of freezers in several Swedish stores rose suddenly overnight, store operators ICA and Coop said, while Swedish retailer Axfood said freezers at a distribution centre for home delivery of groceries in the Gothenburg area were hacked.

SuperValu, Ireland’s third-largest supermarket chain, ⁠⁠⁠⁠said a specific model of refrigeration systems has been affected by a “cyber incident” at 13 of its 223 ⁠⁠⁠⁠stores.

The Belga news agency reported overnight temperature increases at dozens of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ahold Delhaize stores in Belgium and Luxembourg. They were blamed on a cyberattack, according to the chief ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠executive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠of refrigeration company,⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Sabcobel.

Stephan Moelans said the units’ evaporators were switched to defrost mode.