Cyberattacks Target Supermarket Freezers Across Europe

Supermarkets in Belgium, Sweden and Luxembourg are facing a wave of cyberattacks against their refrigeration systems. The breaches remotely altered the temperatures of freezers and refrigerators, leading to the disposal of thousands of euros worth of perishable food.

Chains such as Delhaize, Carrefour, ICA and Coop confirmed that equipment was targeted by technical incidents overnight. In one case recorded in Sweden, a freezer temperature was adjusted to 50 degrees Celsius. Technicians had to disconnect the units from the power grid to contain the damage.

The incident follows a pattern observed in October in France, where about 700 supermarkets suffered similar intrusions. On that occasion, hackers took control of internet-connected controllers and raised the temperature of equipment that should have been operating at sub-zero levels.

The vulnerability lies in the connectivity of refrigeration systems, which allow for remote maintenance and monitoring. The recurrence of these attacks demonstrates a growing risk to the digital infrastructure of large retailers that rely on connected networks for inventory management.

The unstable scenario in global supply chains and the rise in attacks on connected infrastructure increase the perception of cyber risk for the technology sector. Investors are monitoring how digital security firms and hardware manufacturers will react to protect critical systems against remote intrusions.