A widespread cyberattack struck supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe on Monday, affecting stores from Sweden to Belgium and raising immediate concerns over food safety and supply chain vulnerability. The incident mirrors a similar intrusion targeting French retailers just last month.
Major chains including Ahold Delhaize and Colruyt confirmed that an overnight IT incident compromised freezers and coolers in dozens of locations across Belgium and Luxembourg. Simultaneously, Swedish retailers ICA and Coop reported sharp, unauthorized temperature increases in their cold storage units.
“There has been a cyberattack and all our freezers reached 50 degrees Celsius [122 degrees Fahrenheit],” said Engla Ingwall, sales manager at an ICA franchise in Stockholm. She noted the breach occurred around 2 a.m. local time but went undetected for several hours, resulting in significant product loss.