Hacker Attacks Freeze Systems in Swedish, Belgian, and Estonian Grocers

Refrigeration units in supermarkets across Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Estonia experienced simultaneous failures on Monday that officials and companies attributed to cyberattacks. The incidents forced staff to discard spoiled food as temperatures inside cooling systems rose sharply.

This disruption follows a pattern established last month, when attackers remotely controlled refrigeration equipment in hundreds of stores across France. Those earlier attacks caused temperatures to climb, damaging fresh and frozen goods. The current wave of incidents spans four countries and affects both major chains and independent retailers.

Gustaf Nilsson, a spokesperson for the Swedish chain ICA Group, told news agency TT that a limited number of locations were affected overnight. He did not provide a specific count of impacted stores. A branch of the ICA Kvantum in Sjöbo reported on social media that its units had been hacked and set to 50 degrees Celsius, or 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The store stated it was working to discard affected items.

In central Sweden, the Coop chain reported issues with fridges and freezers in six of its stores, according to TT. In Belgium and Luxembourg, the Delhaize chain identified an IT incident affecting refrigeration systems in several dozen locations. Sarah De Meester, a Delhaize spokesperson, noted that distribution centers remained operational and deliveries continued without disruption, though the range of fresh products was temporarily reduced in affected areas.

The Carrefour chain in Belgium stated that a cyberattack targeting only refrigeration installations had an extremely limited impact. The company said 15 of its more than 700 stores were involved. In Estonia, Kitman Coldtech, a manufacturer of the affected technology, confirmed that one of its clients suffered an attack where intruders accessed a control computer and raised the temperature to 50 degrees Celsius.

Jann Mutso, CEO of Kitman Coldtech, declined to name the specific store but said the attack was neutralized within minutes. He reported that no major damage resulted from the incident. The Selver chain confirmed that one of its outlets was among those affected.

French investigators earlier determined that the attacks targeting France focused on older systems. The Monday incidents in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Estonia appear to share the same operational method, with attackers manipulating temperature settings remotely to compromise food safety.