European grocery stores report fridge-freezer temperature spikes linked to cyberattacks

Grocery store chains in at least three European countries experienced unexpected temperature increases in refrigerators and freezers, leading to ruined food, CBS News reported. This is the second such incident in less than a month raising concerns about cyberattacks on interconnected infrastructure.

Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize and Belgian chain Colruyt reported IT incidents that caused temperature spikes in dozens of stores across Belgium and Luxembourg, according to Reuters. Swedish chains ICA and Coop also reported similar issues, with one explicitly attributing it to a cyberattack, Reuters noted.

These incidents follow a cyberattack reported less than three weeks ago targeting French supermarket chains E. Leclerc, Intermarché, and Cooperative U, which saw refrigerator temperatures surge up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, AFP reported.

Ahold Delhaize had already reported suspicious cybersecurity activity to Dutch police in October. The Belgian refrigeration company Sabcobel, which operates cooling systems for Delhaize and others, confirmed a cyberattack caused evaporators to switch into defrost mode, according to Belgium's Belga news agency.

Technicians were mobilized overnight to disconnect affected units from the network and control the situation. Sabcobel's CEO indicated that while efforts to protect fridges against this vulnerability are ongoing, many units require physical modifications that will need investment.

Swedish supermarkets also experienced similar refrigerator and freezer temperature spikes, CBS News reported, underscoring the cross-border nature of these cyber incidents affecting food retail infrastructure.