A new wave of cyber attacks today disrupted the refrigeration systems of supermarkets across Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Ireland, Estonia, the Netherlands and Finland. Hackers remotely managed refrigeration systems, causing extreme temperature increases, in some cases reaching 50°C (122°F), destroying chilled and frozen food and forcing retailers to throw away affected products. The attacks exploited vulnerabilities in Internet-connected refrigeration controls, including remote activation of defrost functions. Among the retailers affected, approximately 40 Delhaize stores, 15 Carrefour locations and 5 Spar supermarkets reported disruptions in Belgium and Luxembourg. The ICA and Loll chains in Sweden experienced similar incidents, while 13 SuperValu stores in Ireland and at least one supermarket in Estonia were affected. The attacks follow a major cyberattack on October 12 against hundreds of French supermarkets that caused widespread food loss, equipment damage and fires, with losses potentially running into millions of euros. European cyber security authorities are investigating the incidents. No group has claimed responsibility, and investigators have not determined whether the attacks in different countries are part of a single coordinated campaign.

A new wave of cyber attacks today disrupted the refrigeration systems of supermarkets across Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Ireland, Estonia, the Netherlands and Finland. Hackers remotely managed refrigeration systems, causing extreme temperature increases, in some cases reaching 50°C (122°F), destroying chilled and frozen food and forcing retailers to throw away affected products. The attacks exploited vulnerabilities in Internet-connected refrigeration controls, including remote activation of defrost functions. Among the retailers affected, approximately 40 Delhaize stores, 15 Carrefour locations and 5 Spar supermarkets reported disruptions in Belgium and Luxembourg. The ICA and Loll chains in Sweden experienced similar incidents, while 13 SuperValu stores in Ireland and at least one supermarket in Estonia were affected. The attacks follow a major cyberattack on October 12 against hundreds of French supermarkets that caused widespread food loss, equipment damage and fires, with losses potentially running into millions of euros. European cyber security authorities are investigating the incidents. No group has claimed responsibility, and investigators have not determined whether the attacks in different countries are part of a single coordinated campaign.