Supermarket freezers hit 50°C as cyberattack spreads across Europe
What's the story
A widespread cyberattack has struck dozens of supermarkets across seven European countries, compromising refrigeration and freezer systems and threatening cold-chain operations. The attack has affected around 40 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as several ICA and Coop shops in Sweden. Thirteen SuperValu shops have also been impacted in Ireland. The incident has resulted in millions of euros worth of food being thrown away due to temperature malfunctions.
Incident confirmation
Carrefour confirms attack on 15 stores
Delhaize, one of Belgium's largest supermarket chains, has confirmed a "computer incident" at 40 of its stores.
The Hoeilaart branch in the Flemish Braband province in Flanders reported a loss of €100,000 worth of produce due to the attack.
Carrefour, another French-owned supermarket chain, said 15 of its Belgian stores were affected by the incident but measures have been taken to keep all shops operational.
Impact assessment
ICA and Coop's response to the situation
ICA, a Swedish retailer, confirmed the incident had affected a "small number" of its stores. The company is currently assisting the affected outlets in dealing with the situation.
One store in Sjobo, southern Sweden, reported that their refrigerators and freezers were compromised overnight and set to an extreme temperature of 50 degrees Celsius.
Several Coop stores in Sweden were also affected but the company said "the situation is currently contained and under control."
Security breach
Similar cyberattack in France last month
The recent incidents have raised concerns over the security of supermarket refrigeration systems.
This comes after a similar cyberattack in France last month affected as many as 700 stores.
Hackers had manipulated freezer and refrigerator settings, raising temperatures from as low as -27°C to above 50°C.
The attack forced stores to discard large quantities of meat, dairy products, and frozen goods.
Investigation findings
Hackers compromised controllers supplied by Danish manufacturer Danfoss
Investigators found that the hackers had compromised controllers, which were mainly supplied by Danish manufacturer Danfoss.
The attackers disabled alarms before changing temperature settings or extending defrost cycles.
Danfoss said it had identified security flaws last year and had repeatedly urged customers to install software updates.