Supermarkets in Sweden and Belgium were affected by a suspected cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems, authorities said. (Foto: Instagram)
Dozens of supermarkets in Sweden and Belgium have been hit by a suspected cyberattack affecting refrigeration systems. Authorities said refrigerators and freezers reached temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).
Swedish supermarket chain Coop said Monday, Nov. 2, that six of its stores were affected. Freezers at locations operated by rival chain ICA were also hit.
Reports indicate that alarm systems may have been disabled before thermostat settings were changed or defrost cycles were extended for several hours. The reported incidents affected equipment used to keep food refrigerated or frozen.
Danfoss, a company specializing in refrigeration, heating and industrial automation technologies, said it had identified security vulnerabilities the previous year. The company also said it had been recommending for a long time that customers install the necessary updates.
National cybersecurity agencies in Belgium and Sweden said they are monitoring the incident. The cases come weeks after similar attacks affected hundreds of supermarkets in France, where refrigeration equipment temperatures rose. In one reported case, a refrigerator reached 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Paris prosecutor’s office opened a formal investigation into the French attack, saying the damage included food losses and fires. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu directed the country’s National Cybersecurity Agency, known as ANSSI, to investigate.
