Cyber Incidents Disrupt Supermarket Cooling Systems Across Europe

Supermarket chains across Europe are investigating apparent cyberattacks after refrigerators and freezers unexpectedly began heating up, forcing stores to discard spoiled food and raising fresh concerns about the vulnerability of digitally connected infrastructure.

Retailers in Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden reported refrigeration problems Monday, less than three weeks after a similar attack disrupted cooling systems at hundreds of French supermarkets.

Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize and Belgian retailer Colruyt said an overnight IT incident caused temperatures to rise inside refrigeration units at dozens of locations. Swedish chains ICA and Coop also reported sudden temperature increases, although both said they had not confirmed whether cybercriminals were responsible.

Sabcobel, a Belgian refrigeration company whose systems are used by Delhaize and other retailers, attributed the disruption to a cyberattack. CEO Stephan Moelans told Belgium’s Belga news agency that evaporators in affected units had been remotely switched into defrost mode.

Technicians were mobilized during the night to contain the problem and disconnect compromised equipment from the network. Moelans said the company had already been working to protect customers against the vulnerability, but warned that many refrigeration units would require costly physical modifications.

In Sweden, ICA said a limited number of stores were affected. One ICA location in Sjöbo announced that its refrigerators and freezers had been “hacked,” with temperatures reportedly set to 50 degrees Celsius, or approximately 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Coop said six of its roughly 800 Swedish stores experienced complete or partial refrigeration failures and had to dispose of food.

The latest disruptions follow an Oct. 12 attack involving French retailers E. Leclerc, Intermarché and Cooperative U. That incident targeted refrigeration-control systems manufactured by Denmark-based Danfoss, reportedly causing overheating and fires in some equipment.

No individual or organization has claimed responsibility for either incident.

The repeated attacks demonstrate how ordinary commercial equipment can become a serious point of weakness when connected to centralized networks. Beyond the immediate financial losses, compromised refrigeration systems could disrupt food supplies on a much wider scale.

European Union food and agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen warned after the French attack that protecting food security now requires greater attention at every level. As supermarkets become increasingly dependent on connected technology, retailers and governments face growing pressure to secure the systems that preserve fresh food and sustain essential supply chains.

Thank you for your support.

If you appreciate the work we do to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, please consider giving a gift to help us continue this work. Maranatha!