Grocery store chains across several European countries faced unexpected refrigeration failures due to temperature spikes on Monday. This incident marks the second time in less than a month, prompting concerns over potential cyber intrusions into interconnected infrastructure.
In Belgium and Luxembourg, Ahold Delhaize and Colruyt experienced IT issues leading to temperature increases inside refrigerators and freezers overnight. Similarly, Swedish chains ICA and Coop reported problems, with one outlet suggesting a cyberattack, according to Reuters.
Earlier, French supermarkets, including E. Leclerc, Intermarché, and Cooperative U, suffered a cyberattack elevating temperatures in their refrigeration systems up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit across numerous outlets.
In response to the incident, Ahold reported a cybersecurity event to Dutch authorities in October after noticing unusual activity. Delhaize’s spokesperson, Sarah De Meester, informed Reuters of Monday’s cooling system temperature increases.
Stephan Moelans, CEO of Sabcobel, a Belgian refrigeration operator for Delhaize, attributed the cause to a cyberattack. He explained to the national news agency Belga the challenge as evaporators switched to defrost mode.
“We began mobilizing technicians at 1 a.m. to get the situation under control,” Moelans stated. “We’ve been working through the night to disconnect affected units.”
Despite efforts to secure equipment, many systems require physical upgrades, demanding significant investment.
On Monday morning, ICA and Coop chains reported soaring refrigerator temperatures, resulting in spoiled food disposal. ICA stated “a limited number” of outlets encountered this issue, although specific numbers weren’t disclosed.
In southern Sweden, an ICA store in Sjobo shared on Facebook that fridges had been hacked, reaching 50 degrees Celsius (approximately 122 degrees Fahrenheit). Helena Johansson, an ICA spokesperson, noted efforts to assess the situation and assist affected locations.
The Coop chain identified issues with fridge and freezer functions in six of its 800 Swedish stores, discarding impacted food products, with spokesperson Carlos Cancino noting impaired operations but no cyberattack confirmation.
Previously, on October 12, major French retailers faced similar challenges, discarding food after a cyberattack on refrigeration systems by Danish manufacturer Danfoss. This raised significant food security concerns.
While no group has claimed responsibility for these hacks, EU food and agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen emphasized the need for more attention to food security, describing the exploitation of vulnerabilities in essential systems as a new reality.
“Targeting equipment essential to the preservation of fresh products and to the food supply of the French people is of extreme gravity and is unprecedented,” Cooperative U CEO Dominique Schelcher posted earlier.
Parisian prosecutors have confirmed a cyberattack that has impacted numerous chains, prompting equipment to overheat and cause fires in some cases.
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