European Fridge Hack Spreads to 5 Countries as Store Freezers Jump to 50C
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Nov 2
European Fridge Hack Spreads to 5 Countries as Store Freezers Jump to 50C
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Nov 2
Summary
Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden reported overnight refrigeration failures, with retailers saying suspected cyberattacks pushed supermarket fridges and freezers to unsafe temperatures.
50C settings seen in France last month appeared again in Sweden and Estonia, while Belgian refrigeration executives said hacked units were switched into defrost mode.
13 of SuperValu’s 223 Irish stores were hit, six Coop stores and several ICA stores in Sweden were affected, and Axfood said a Gothenburg-area grocery distribution center was hacked.
Sweden’s national cybersecurity centre said it is handling multiple incidents and had already warned that many exposed operational-technology devices needed patching.
The attacks extend a French supermarket breach that spoiled food and caused fires, highlighting how vulnerable once-mechanical retail cooling systems have become across Europe.