Second wave of freezer cyberattacks hits European supermarkets, destroying perishables across Belgium and Sweden
Following a comparable incident in France weeks earlier, hackers have compromised refrigeration systems at major retail chains in two countries, remotely raising temperatures to spoil inventory.
European supermarket chains are grappling with a second coordinated cyberattack targeting their refrigeration infrastructure, according to Bloomberg. The assault struck retailers in Belgium and Sweden, including locations operated by Ahold Delhaize, as well as ICA and Coop stores. Attackers remotely manipulated freezer temperatures to 50 degrees Celsius, causing rapid thawing and the loss of substantial food inventories worth millions of dollars.
The incident echoes a comparable attack on French supermarket refrigeration systems that occurred in recent weeks, described as "unprecedented" in its scope. Belga News Agency documented that the Belgian portion of the assault commenced late Sunday night around midnight, with a regional refrigeration service estimator reporting at least twenty compromised units across the country. Affected retailers in Belgium encompassed Delhaize, Carrefour, and Spar locations.
The attack methodology mirrored the earlier French incident precisely. Hackers gained remote access to the freezers' built-in defrost functionality, overriding normal temperature controls and defrost cycles to maximize spoilage. One technician involved in response efforts stated: "We've been working all night and morning to disconnect the affected units from the network."