Cyberattacks hit supermarket refrigeration across eight EU nations

EU Agriculture and Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen on Monday characterized suspected cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems across eight European countries as a deliberate attempt to disrupt food security, as incidents from Stockholm to Brussels caused significant food losses and prompted Belgian prosecutors to open a criminal investigation.

Retail chains count losses across Nordic region

Incidents were reported in Sweden, Belgium, Estonia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Ireland and Denmark, while Finnish retailers investigated overnight temperature irregularities. In Sweden, several ICA stores in Skane, Oland, Varmland and Stockholm reported failures alongside six Coop locations in Gastrikland and Halsingland. At ICA Nara in Boda, manager Mats Olsson discovered water covering the floor and a freezer reading 55C (131F) after units were remotely switched off.

Coop confirmed unauthorized manipulation in a cyber incident and identified Danfoss among its suppliers. ICA spokesman Gustaf Nilsson said the company was investigating and assisting stores whose affected connections were outside its central network. "Right now we are emptying the freezers, there is not much else to do. They are about to get cold again, but everything is ruined," ICA manager Dennis Vidal in Sankt Olof said, describing the immediate aftermath.

Belgian investigators probe coordinated defrost attacks

In Belgium, Delhaize, Carrefour and Spar supermarkets were affected alongside an IKEA store in Mons. Sabcobel CEO Stephan Moelans told Belga the attack began around midnight Sunday, affecting approximately 20 refrigeration units managed by the installer. Attackers remotely switched evaporators to defrost mode, warming refrigerators and forcing retailers to discard goods.

Shopkeeper Gerte Bouchet estimated at least €60,000 worth of food was discarded, according to Het Belang van Limburg. Carrefour confirmed 15 stores were targeted across Flanders and Wallonia, while Ahold Delhaize reported an IT incident affecting dozens of stores in Belgium and Luxembourg. Colruyt and Intermarche reported refrigeration problems at five and around 15 stores respectively without confirming cyberattacks.

Suppliers acknowledge systems lacked centralized protection

In Ireland, suspected cyberattacks affected a specific refrigeration model at 13 SuperValu stores, parent company Musgrave said. Monitoring systems detected the issue and chilled goods were withdrawn as a precaution. Musgrave later said the problems were fully resolved and all stores were operating normally, according to RTE. Danish food producers were also targeted, with adviser Jeppe Engell telling DR that a supplier stopped the attack and implemented preventive measures.

At least 17 Dutch businesses, including butcher shops and frozen food storage facilities, were targeted using systems with default passwords outside secure networks, Danfoss told NOS. In Estonia, hackers accessed a computer controlling refrigeration at a Selver supermarket and changed a freezer's temperature, ERR reported. Finnish retailer Kesko reported temperature problems at a few stores, with security chief Petri Kayhko stating affected equipment was outside centralized protection.