NEW YORK — A new wave of suspected cyberattacks has disrupted supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe, highlighting the growing cybersecurity risks retailers face as more critical store equipment connects to the internet.
Supermarkets in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, and Estonia reported refrigeration problems Monday, less than a month after a large-scale attack affected hundreds of grocery stores in France.
The incidents have followed a similar pattern: Attackers gain remote access to refrigeration controls and manipulate temperatures, sometimes setting refrigerators and freezers to 50°C, or 122°F. The resulting disruptions have forced some retailers to remove chilled and frozen products from sale and discard spoiled food.
In Sweden, ICA said a limited number of stores were affected by an overnight incident involving refrigeration and freezer systems, while Coop reported issues at six stores. In Belgium, Carrefour said 15 of its more than 700 stores were affected, and dozens of Delhaize locations in Belgium and Luxembourg reported refrigeration problems.
Ireland’s SuperValu said that refrigeration systems using a specific equipment model were affected at 13 of its 223 stores, prompting the removal of chilled and frozen products from sale. An outlet in Estonia was also affected.
The latest incidents resemble a cyberattack in France in October that affected refrigeration equipment at hundreds of supermarkets. French officials said about 700 stores were affected, and retailers including Intermarché, Netto, Coopérative U, Carrefour and Monoprix reported disruptions.
Attackers remotely changed refrigeration settings, causing food losses and, in some instances, fires. French authorities opened an investigation into the attacks.
The incidents have drawn attention to operational technology, or OT, that retailers use to remotely monitor and manage physical equipment. Internet-connected refrigeration systems allow operators and service providers to monitor temperatures and perform maintenance remotely, but they can also create an entry point for attackers if equipment is outdated, improperly secured, or exposed to the internet.
Following the French attacks, cybersecurity officials identified refrigeration controllers from multiple manufacturers as part of the affected equipment. Danfoss said many affected systems were older products that no longer received software or security updates, and it has advised customers to update supported equipment and protect systems behind firewalls.
According to cybersecurity researchers cited by Reuters, thousands of refrigeration-control interfaces remained accessible via the public internet after the October attacks.
No group has publicly claimed responsibility for either wave of attacks, and authorities have not established whether the incidents across the different countries were carried out by the same attackers.
The attacks underscore that cybersecurity risks for retailers increasingly extend beyond customer data, payment systems and e-commerce platforms. Connected equipment controlling refrigeration, energy, building management and other store operations can create vulnerabilities with immediate consequences for inventory and store operations.
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