Refrigeration systems hacked across Europe

Cyberattacks on Monday affected refrigerators and freezers in Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, The Netherlands and Estonia. Hackers altered temperature settings, causing widespread food spoilage at grocery stores.

Swedish chains ICA and Coop confirm attacks

ICA reported an incident overnight affecting a small number of stores outside its central network. Coop said seven out of more than eight hundred stores were affected and the situation was contained and under control.

“contained and under control”

Temperature raised to fifty degrees Celsius

One ICA store in Sjöbo, Sweden posted that overnight, refrigerators and freezers were hacked and temperature was set to fifty degrees. This matches a similar attack on French stores last month.

“overnight, our refrigerators and freezers were hacked, and the temperature was set to 50 degrees”

Belgian and Dutch chains also targeted

Delhaize and Carrefour in Belgium reported attacks. Carrefour said fifteen of its seven hundred stores were affected. Dutch refrigeration company Danfoss reported seventeen facilities using its systems were hit.

“the impact at Carrefour is very limited: currently 15 of our 700 stores are affected”

Irish SuperValu stores also compromised

Musgrave, which owns Irish grocery chain SuperValu, told broadcaster RTÉ that thirteen stores had been affected by a suspected cyberattack targeting a specific refrigeration model.

U.S. military bases hit by similar attacks

Several U.S. military bases experienced similar cyberattacks in August. At least six commissaries, or on-base grocery stores, were affected in ways similar to the recent European attacks. The Pentagon is investigating.