Suspected cyberattacks disrupted supermarket refrigeration systems in at least nine European countries, with some freezers and refrigerators reaching 50°C (122°F). (Foto: Instagram)
Suspected cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems affected stores in at least nine European countries on Monday, Nov. 2, disrupting freezers and refrigerators and pushing temperatures as high as 50°C. Some stores discarded food or removed it from freezers as a precaution. European Union Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen described the incidents as a deliberate attempt to disrupt the food supply chain and undermine consumer confidence in it.
The affected countries were Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. Major chains reporting problems included Carrefour, Ahold Delhaize, Coop, SuperValu, Intermarché and ICA. Hansen said EU food security was not currently at risk, but that food waste and the effects on businesses were real.
In Belgium, the Belgian Cybersecurity Center confirmed it was aware of incidents involving refrigeration systems. The federal prosecutor’s office opened an investigation. Stores belonging to Carrefour, Delhaize and Intermarché, among other chains, were affected.
Sweden’s largest supermarket chain, ICA, confirmed that some of its stores were affected but did not say how many. Coop also reported incidents involving freezers that reached 50°C. The country’s National Cyber Security Center opened an investigation and said it was monitoring the incidents, contacting affected businesses and exchanging information with counterparts in Nordic and other European countries.
Italy’s National Cybersecurity Agency was notified about attacks affecting Coop locations. The Italian government met Tuesday, Nov. 3, with Undersecretary to the Council of Ministers Alfredo Mantovano and Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida. In a statement, the government said preliminary findings showed the impact in Italy was limited so far, with only a few stores affected compared with the thousands operating nationwide. It said work was underway to mitigate and anticipate similar attacks, adding there was no reason for alarm while authorities remained highly attentive.
At least 17 establishments in the Netherlands were affected, including butcher shops and small markets. The Dutch National Cyber Security Center said it was closely monitoring the situation, investigating the incidents and sharing information with affected companies and international partners. Stores were also affected in Estonia, Ireland, Finland, Portugal and Luxembourg. Less than a month earlier, a large-scale incident in France affected about 700 stores, according to the French government.
