Refrigeration systems at numerous supermarkets across Sweden and Belgium failed overnight due to a sudden temperature surge reaching up to 50 degrees Celsius, raising fears of a hacker attack similar to the incident that occurred in France on October 12. European media reports confirm that Estonia, Luxembourg, and Ireland have also been hit by cyberattacks targeting supermarket cooling infrastructure. In response to the crisis, several affected stores remained closed this morning.
In Belgium, the cyberattacks impacted multiple locations belonging to major retail chains, including Delhaize, Carrefour, Spar, and Intermarché. The incident followed the same modus operandi observed in France, striking refrigeration systems around midnight between Sunday and Monday. According to the Belga news agency, service disruptions were also reported at an Ikea store.
Dennis Vidal, a manager of one of the affected stores in southern Sweden, stated that staff are currently emptying freezers as there is little else they can do. Speaking to public broadcaster SVT, he noted that while systems are beginning to cool down again, the food has already been ruined. Some supermarkets belonging to the Ica and Coop chains were closed during the early morning hours to manage the situation.
Although there is currently no official confirmation of the cause, a hacker attack is suspected. Gustaf Nilsson, spokesperson for the Ica Group supermarkets, told the TT news agency that they are aware a limited number of stores were affected by an incident overnight that compromised refrigeration and freezing systems.
Sources: ANSA Mondo.