Fridge cyberattack hits supermarkets across Europe

Grocery stores in at least five European countries saw temperatures in their cold cases soar on Monday, with several confirming they had been hit by a cyberattack similar to one three weeks ago in France. Supermarkets in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Luxembourg and Sweden were among those affected in the latest hacker attack. Major French retailers said on Oct 12 that hundreds of store refrigeration systems were hit by a cyberattack, which forced them to throw out spoiled food and raised concerns about food security. No one has claimed responsibility for either attack. Carrefour Belgium on Monday reported disruption in about 15 of its 700 stores. “It’s a cyberattack; there is no other reason,” said spokesman Mich Vergauwen.

An Ikea Belgium spokeswoman likewise said a cyberattack hit its store in Mons, southwestern Belgium, causing the temperature of freezers to rise suddenly in the early hours of Monday. Chains Delhaize, Colruyt and Intermarche also experienced technical problems affecting their fridges in Belgium, while Delhaize reported that four of its stores in Luxembourg were also affected. Belgian industrial refrigeration group Sabcobel said it had begun securing its installations after the Oct 12 attack in France, but around 10 per cent were still not fixed, and some were in the shops affected on Monday. “If Sabcobel hadn’t started this operation … the impact would have been much more important,” chief executive Stephan Moelans told AFP . In Sweden, chain Coop confirmed six of its around 800 stores had been hit by a cyberattack early Monday. “We can confirm that it is a cyber incident. The problem has now been resolved, and the fridges and freezers are working as normal,” spokesman Carlos Cancino told AFP . He said Coop did not know who was behind the attack, but…