Supermarket refrigeration systems in Belgium and Sweden were reportedly targeted in a suspected cyberattack, causing refrigerators and freezers to reach unusually high temperatures. (Foto: Instagram)
Dozens of supermarkets in Belgium and Sweden were reportedly targeted in a suspected cyberattack that affected refrigeration systems. Authorities said refrigerators and freezers reached temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius.
Swedish supermarket chain Coop said Monday, Nov. 2, that six of its stores were affected. Freezers at locations operated by the ICA chain were also hit. Reports indicated that alarm systems may have been disabled before temperatures were changed or defrost cycles were extended for several hours.
Danfoss, a company specializing in refrigeration, heating, and industrial automation technology, said it had identified security vulnerabilities the previous year. The company said it had been recommending for a long time that users install necessary updates. Belgium’s and Sweden’s national cybersecurity agencies said they were monitoring the incident.
The cases come weeks after similar attacks affected hundreds of supermarkets in France, raising temperatures in refrigeration equipment. In one instance, a refrigerator reached 80 degrees Celsius. The Paris prosecutor’s office opened a formal investigation into the French attack and said the damage included food losses and fires. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu directed France’s National Cybersecurity Agency to investigate.
