Cyberattacks Spike Supermarket Freezer Temps

Refrigeration systems at grocery stores across Sweden, Belgium, and Luxembourg experienced sudden temperature increases on Monday. Industry leaders and security officials attribute the disruptions to cyberattacks, a pattern that has emerged after a major breach in France.

John Billow, head of Sweden’s national cybersecurity centre, confirmed to Reuters that his team is managing multiple incidents involving store cooling equipment. In Belgium and Luxembourg, Stephan Moelans, chief executive of refrigeration provider Sabcobel, stated that the temperature rises at dozens of Ahold Delhaize locations resulted from a cyberattack.

Swedish retailers ICA and Coop reported that freezer temperatures climbed overnight at several of their stores. Coop disclosed to the Aftonbladet that six of its locations were impacted. A spokesperson for ICA told Reuters in an email that a limited number of stores suffered incidents affecting their refrigeration and freezer systems.

Ahold Delhaize, which operates stores in the affected regions, initially described the problem as an IT incident affecting its fridges and freezers. The company is currently investigating the matter. The chain previously reported a cybersecurity incident to Dutch police last month.

The current disturbances mirror an attack on hundreds of supermarkets in France. There, fridges and freezers heated to as high as 50 degrees Celsius, or 122 Fahrenheit. The extreme heat spoiled food and triggered fires at several locations. One Swedish store noted on social media that its equipment had been set to the same temperature as during the French breach.