Cyber-attack hits supermarket refrigeration in seven European countries
Retailers in seven European countries reported refrigeration systems heating up overnight, prompting food disposal and internal investigations into a suspected cyber-attack.
The story in focus
Supermarket chains in at least seven European countries reported refrigerator and freezer temperatures rising overnight, in some cases reaching 50C. Ahold Delhaize said dozens of its Belgian and Luxembourg stores were hit. Retailers and refrigeration suppliers attributed the incidents to cyber-attacks, and food was discarded at affected shops.
- Retailers in Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden reported refrigeration problems on Monday.
- Ahold Delhaize said fridges and freezers in dozens of its supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were affected.
- Sabcobel, which operates Delhaize's refrigeration systems, attributed the incident to a cyber-attack and said units were disconnected from the network.
- SuperValu said refrigeration systems limited to a specific model in 13 of its 223 shops were affected and chilled and frozen products were removed from sale.
- Sweden's Coop said six of its shops were hit, while ICA reported a limited number of stores affected.
Scope of the disruption
Retailers in Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden reported problems with refrigeration systems on Monday. Ahold Delhaize said fridges and freezers in dozens of its supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg had been affected. Belgium's Le Soir reported that dozens of shops were involved, including five Spar outlets, Shop & Go convenience stores attached to Q8 service stations and some smaller Proxy Delhaize mini-markets.
Sweden's Coop told the daily Aftonbladet that six of its shops had been hit. ICA said a limited number of stores operating outside its central network were affected. In Ireland, SuperValu said refrigeration systems limited to a specific model in 13 of its 223 shops were affected, and chilled and frozen products were removed from sale. In Estonia, the Selver chain said one outlet was affected.
Response and losses
Stephan Moelans, chief executive of Sabcobel, which operates Delhaize's refrigeration systems, told Belga the incident was a cyber-attack and that evaporators were switched to defrost mode. He said technicians began mobilising at 1am and spent the night and morning disconnecting affected installations. Ahold Delhaize spokesperson Sarah De Meester said distribution centres were operating normally and there was no disruption to deliveries.
A Delhaize branch in Hoeilaart told Het Laatste Nieuws it had lost €100,000 worth of produce, an estimate that did not include losses from closing the shop. Ikea Belgium said a cyber-attack raised freezer temperatures at its Mons store and that some food products were removed as a precaution, with some waste expected. The incidents follow an October attack in France in which hackers raised temperatures in as many as 700 supermarkets, causing food losses estimated in the tens of millions of euros.
How many Delhaize supermarkets were affected by the refrigeration cyber-attack?
Ahold Delhaize said fridges and freezers in dozens of its supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were hit. The BBC reported that around 40 Delhaize supermarkets were affected.
Sources & further reading
- Shop fridges and freezers across Europe hit by fresh suspected cyber-attack ↗The Guardian
- Shop freezers in seven European countries hit by cyber-attack ↗BBC
- Supermarket freezers in Belgium and Sweden hit by suspected cyber-attack ↗BBC
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