Dozens of supermarkets in Belgium, Sweden and Luxembourg have been affected by a suspected cyber-attack targeting refrigeration systems. Thirteen SuperValu stores in Ireland have also reportedly been impacted.
Around 40 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were affected, according to local reports. Delhaize described the incident as a computer incident that took place overnight. A store in Hoeilaart said it had lost an estimated €100,000 worth of produce, excluding potential losses linked to closing the branch.
Several ICA and Coop stores in Sweden also reported problems. One ICA shop said its freezers had been set to 50C (122F), while a branch in southern Sweden stated that its refrigerators and freezers had been hacked. The store was temporarily closed and later reopened, although spoiled food had to be discarded.
Seven of Sweden’s 800 Coop stores were affected. The company said the situation was contained and under control. ICA said the incident involved a small number of stores operating outside its central network and that it was helping those businesses manage the disruption.
Carrefour said 15 of its Belgian stores were affected, adding that immediate measures had been taken to keep all of them open. Millions of euros worth of food have reportedly been thrown away across the affected supermarkets.
Belgium’s and Sweden’s national cyber-security agencies said they were monitoring the incident. It remains unclear who was responsible. The disruption follows a similar attack last month that affected hundreds of supermarkets in France.
Sources: BBC News World.