Supermarket Freezers in Three Countries Hit by Suspected Cyberattacks

Shoppers in Sweden, Belgium, and Luxembourg faced warmer freezers this week after refrigeration systems at multiple grocery stores malfunctioned. Operators in all three nations attributed the sudden temperature rises to suspected cyberattacks, mirroring a recent incident in France.

John Billow, head of Sweden’s national cybersecurity centre, told Reuters on Monday that his agency is responding to several incidents affecting store cooling. The temperature inside freezers at various Swedish locations climbed sharply overnight, according to store operators ICA and Coop.

ICA confirmed in an email to Reuters that a limited number of stores experienced the issue. The privately held retailer stated that the incident impacted their refrigeration and freezer systems. Coop told the Swedish daily Aftonbladet that six of its stores were affected by similar overnight glitches.

In neighboring countries, Sabcobel chief executive Stephan Moelans told the Belga news agency that dozens of Ahold Delhaize stores in Belgium and Luxembourg saw temperature increases. Moelans blamed the rise on a cyberattack. An Ahold Delhaize spokesperson previously described the event as an IT incident affecting fridges and freezers, adding that the company is investigating the cause.

The current disruptions echo a larger cyberattack on refrigeration systems at hundreds of French supermarkets. During that earlier breach, temperatures in fridges and freezers reached as high as 50 degrees Celsius, or 122 Fahrenheit. The heat spoiled food and triggered fires in several French locations.

One Swedish store posted on social media on Monday that its units had been set to the same temperature seen in the French incident. Ahold Delhaize had already reported a cybersecurity incident to Dutch police last month, establishing a timeline for the ongoing investigation across the region.