Supermarket freezers across Europe hit by suspected cyber-attack
Chains in Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg report overnight temperature rises in refrigeration systems.
At a glance
- Refrigeration systems in stores across Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg experienced overnight temperature increases
- Sweden's Coop chain reported six affected stores; ICA said a limited number of its locations were impacted
- One Swedish store's freezer temperatures were set to 50 degrees Celsius
- The incidents resemble an October cyber-attack on French supermarkets that caused significant food losses
Supermarket chains in Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg reported that refrigerator and freezer temperatures rose overnight in dozens of stores, raising concerns about a cyber-attack. Sweden's Coop chain said six of its stores were affected, while ICA said a limited number of its locations experienced an incident that impacted their refrigeration systems. One Swedish store reported freezer temperatures were set to 50 degrees Celsius.
The incidents mirror a cyber-attack on French supermarkets in October that resulted in millions of euros in food losses.
Why it matters
Cyber-attacks on supermarket infrastructure can cause substantial economic damage through food spoilage and supply chain disruption across multiple countries.
Original reporting
- The Guardian — WorldSupermarket freezers across Europe hit by second suspected cyber-attack
- The Guardian — BusinessSupermarket freezers across Europe hit by second suspected cyber-attack
- BBC News — WorldSupermarket freezers in Belgium and Sweden hit by suspected cyber-attack
- BBC News — BusinessSupermarket freezers in Belgium, Sweden and Luxembourg hit by suspected cyber-attack
This brief was written with AI assistance from the reports listed above and checked against our editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.
