Supermarkets in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Sweden reported problems with refrigeration systems on Monday, the 2nd, apparently caused by cyberattacks.
The incidents affected freezers and refrigerators, prompting some stores to discard foods that had lost proper storage conditions.
The cases come after a similar episode reported last month in France, when intruders remotely took control of refrigeration systems in hundreds of supermarkets and independent stores, causing temperature elevations.
Cases Around the World
Sweden
In Sweden, several supermarkets in the ICA and Coop chains are reporting higher temperatures in freezers. At the ICA Kvantum in Sjöbo, freezer temperatures were raised to 50°C (122°F), the store said on its Facebook page, adding that it suspects a hack.
“We are aware that a limited number of stores were affected by an overnight incident that impacted their refrigeration and freezer systems,” an ICA Sverige spokesperson said by e-mail on Monday, adding that the stores are receiving support to manage the situation, without confirming a cyberattack. Coop has seven affected stores, a spokesperson said, confirming a hack.
Read also: What is known about the hacker attack that hit 380 supermarkets in France
Finland
In Finland, some refrigeration equipment in certain small K-food stores “suffered temperature anomalies overnight,” according to Petri Käyhkö, head of corporate security at Kesko Oyj, the second-largest grocery chain in Finland.
Kesko began investigating the cause after receiving automated alerts and when employees entered the facilities in the morning, he said in an email response to questions. A cybersecurity incident is not ruled out, he said. It is not a widespread phenomenon, but affects only a few small grocers whose equipment is not within the scope of Kesko’s centralized safeguards, he said.
Estonia
In Estonia, the Selver supermarket chain faced the problem in its only store still using an older Danfoss refrigeration control system. The issue was resolved within minutes, a spokesperson told the local ERR broadcaster.
Belgium and Luxembourg
In Belgium and Luxembourg, Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize said that an IT incident affected the refrigeration systems of dozens of units.
The company said that the offering of fresh and frozen products was temporarily reduced, but distribution centers and deliveries continued to operate normally. Carrefour Belgium, by contrast, reported limited impact in 15 of its more than 700 stores.
Ireland
In Ireland, a spokesperson for Musgrave Group said that a cyber incident affected the refrigeration systems in 13 of its SuperValu stores. Refrigerated and frozen products in the affected stores were pulled from sale as a precaution.
Read also: US$6.3 billion hack at Binance mobilized a war room with 100 people
Vulnerability
From refrigerators and heating systems to security cameras and alarm networks, an increasing range of devices — which were largely mechanical in the past — can now be monitored and controlled remotely, creating new opportunities for cybercriminals.
In the most recent cases, authorities did not indicate who could be behind the incidents, and there have been no claims of responsibility. What is known is that the attacks reported in France last month appear to have exploited older cooling systems.
A spokesperson for the Danish refrigeration equipment maker Danfoss said that the incidents across Europe involved its products, just as happened in France in October. There, about 700 stores were hit by cyberattacks that disabled refrigeration systems and forced stores to discard damaged food. The Intermarché, Coopérative U, and Carrefour networks were among those affected.
If the latest incidents are indeed cyberattacks, the equipment may have remained vulnerable if they were using legacy software that cannot be patched.
