{"id":2233081,"date":"2026-11-02T14:31:19","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T11:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2233081"},"modified":"2026-11-02T14:31:19","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T11:31:19","slug":"european-supermarkets-targeted-in-reported-cyberattacks-stretching-from-ireland-to-sweden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2233081","title":{"rendered":"European supermarkets targeted in reported cyberattacks stretching from Ireland to Sweden"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/79829182_6.jpg”]<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5Oxj1<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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Food had to be thrown out at a number of European supermarkets after freezers were remotely set to defrostImage: Fredrik Sandberg\/TT NEWS AGENCY\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Supermarkets in Belgium<\/a>, Estonia<\/a>, Ireland<\/a>,\u00a0Luxembourg<\/a> and Sweden<\/a> reported anomalies in their freezer systems on Monday in an\u00a0apparent cyberattack similar to one in France three weeks ago<\/a> in which unidentified malign actors were accused of having hijacked refrigeration systems<\/a> \u2014 setting them to defrost and spoiling fresh and frozen foods.<\/p>\n

In Monday’s incident, Swedish supermarket chains ICA and Coop said “a limited number” of shops had been hit, with ICA spokeswoman Helena Johansson saying the company is “looking into what has happened and the scale of it.”<\/p>\n

“Fridges and freezers have either stopped working entirely or have been partially impaired,” Coop spokesman Carlos Cancino told the French AFP news agency. He\u00a0noted that six of roughly 800 Coop stores in Sweden had been impacted, adding, “I haven’t received any information that this is a cyberattack.”<\/p>\n

Dutch supermarket chain Ahold Delhaize on Monday said an overnight “IT incident” had hit freezers in several of its stores in Belgium and Luxembourg.<\/p>\n

In Ireland, public broadcasterer RTE reported that 13 supermarkets had been impacted.<\/p>\n

Chains Carrefour, Intermarche and Spar were targeted as well, with Carrefour’s Belgium spokesman Mich Vergauwen saying, “It’s a cyberattack\u2026 There’s no other reason.”<\/p>\n

Belgium’s prosecutor’s office opened a criminal investigation into the attack, the Reuters news agency quoted a spokesperson as saying.<\/p>\n

‘A deliberate attempt to disrupt European food supplies’<\/h2>\n

European Commissioner \u200cfor Agriculture and \u200cFood \u200bChristophe Hansen on Monday called the attacks “a deliberate attempt to disrupt Europe’s food supplies,” stating that \u2060while “food \u200bsecurity is \u200bnot currently \u200bat risk, \u200cthe food waste \u200band \u2060impact on businesses \u2060are \u200breal.”<\/p>\n

“These incidents \u200cshow \u200bthat cyberattacks can disrupt services, affect \u200bbusinesses and directly affect \u2060citizens\u2019 \u200bdaily lives” added \u200ba Commission \u200bspokesperson.<\/p>\n

\"A
Though no one has claimed responsibility, authorities are convinced that problems with freezer cooling and defrosting systems at European supermarkets are the result of remote cyberattacksImage: Marie Mannes\/REUTERS<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How are hackers getting into supermarket refrigeration systems?<\/h2>\n

As on October 12, Monday’s disruption prompted the discarding of spoiled products and again raised concerns about food security.<\/p>\n

The ICA Kvantum branch in Sjobo in southern Sweden said temperatures in their systems were remotely dialed up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).<\/p>\n

\"A
Monday’s outages in Sweden mirrored a similar situation in early October that saw dozens of supermarkets targeted in France Image: Fredrik Sandberg\/TT NEWS AGENCY\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sweden’s National Cybersecurity<\/a> Center boss John Billow told the Reuters news agency on Monday that his department is investigating.<\/p>\n

“We have in recent weeks… identified that we have quite a lot of exposed \u2060operational technology devices in Sweden that \u200bwe have been clear about the necessity to update or patch,” he added.<\/p>\n

That “exposed operational technology” includes everything from refrigerators and heating systems to security cameras, alarm networks and an expanding \u200crange \u200bof devices that were once largely mechanical but are now often monitored and controlled remotely, creating new opportunities for cybercriminals as they seek to exploit security vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

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Supermarkets in Belgium<\/a>, Estonia<\/a>, Ireland<\/a>,\u00a0Luxembourg<\/a> and Sweden<\/a> reported anomalies in their freezer systems on Monday in an\u00a0apparent cyberattack similar to one in France three weeks ago<\/a> in which unidentified malign actors were accused of having hijacked refrigeration systems<\/a> \u2014 setting them to defrost and spoiling fresh and frozen foods.<\/p>\n

In Monday’s incident, Swedish supermarket chains ICA and Coop said “a limited number” of shops had been hit, with ICA spokeswoman Helena Johansson saying the company is “looking into what has happened and the scale of it.”<\/p>\n

“Fridges and freezers have either stopped working entirely or have been partially impaired,” Coop spokesman Carlos Cancino told the French AFP news agency. He\u00a0noted that six of roughly 800 Coop stores in Sweden had been impacted, adding, “I haven’t received any information that this is a cyberattack.”<\/p>\n

Dutch supermarket chain Ahold Delhaize on Monday said an overnight “IT incident” had hit freezers in several of its stores in Belgium and Luxembourg.<\/p>\n

In Ireland, public broadcasterer RTE reported that 13 supermarkets had been impacted.<\/p>\n

Chains Carrefour, Intermarche and Spar were targeted as well, with Carrefour’s Belgium spokesman Mich Vergauwen saying, “It’s a cyberattack\u2026 There’s no other reason.”<\/p>\n

Belgium’s prosecutor’s office opened a criminal investigation into the attack, the Reuters news agency quoted a spokesperson as saying.<\/p>\n

‘A deliberate attempt to disrupt European food supplies’<\/h2>\n

European Commissioner \u200cfor Agriculture and \u200cFood \u200bChristophe Hansen on Monday called the attacks “a deliberate attempt to disrupt Europe’s food supplies,” stating that \u2060while “food \u200bsecurity is \u200bnot currently \u200bat risk, \u200cthe food waste \u200band \u2060impact on businesses \u2060are \u200breal.”<\/p>\n

“These incidents \u200cshow \u200bthat cyberattacks can disrupt services, affect \u200bbusinesses and directly affect \u2060citizens\u2019 \u200bdaily lives” added \u200ba Commission \u200bspokesperson.<\/p>\n

\"A
Though no one has claimed responsibility, authorities are convinced that problems with freezer cooling and defrosting systems at European supermarkets are the result of remote cyberattacksImage: Marie Mannes\/REUTERS<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How are hackers getting into supermarket refrigeration systems?<\/h2>\n

As on October 12, Monday’s disruption prompted the discarding of spoiled products and again raised concerns about food security.<\/p>\n

The ICA Kvantum branch in Sjobo in southern Sweden said temperatures in their systems were remotely dialed up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).<\/p>\n

\"A
Monday’s outages in Sweden mirrored a similar situation in early October that saw dozens of supermarkets targeted in France Image: Fredrik Sandberg\/TT NEWS AGENCY\/picture alliance<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sweden’s National Cybersecurity<\/a> Center boss John Billow told the Reuters news agency on Monday that his department is investigating.<\/p>\n

“We have in recent weeks… identified that we have quite a lot of exposed \u2060operational technology devices in Sweden that \u200bwe have been clear about the necessity to update or patch,” he added.<\/p>\n

That “exposed operational technology” includes everything from refrigerators and heating systems to security cameras, alarm networks and an expanding \u200crange \u200bof devices that were once largely mechanical but are now often monitored and controlled remotely, creating new opportunities for cybercriminals as they seek to exploit security vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Supermarkets in Belgium<\/a>, Estonia<\/a>, Ireland<\/a>,\u00a0Luxembourg<\/a> and Sweden<\/a> reported anomalies in their freezer systems on Monday in an\u00a0apparent cyberattack similar to one in France three weeks ago<\/a> in which unidentified malign actors were accused of having hijacked refrigeration systems<\/a> \u2014 setting them to defrost and spoiling fresh and frozen foods.<\/p>\n

In Monday’s incident, Swedish supermarket chains ICA and Coop said “a limited number” of shops had been hit, with ICA spokeswoman Helena Johansson saying the company is “looking into what has happened and the scale of it.”<\/p>\n

“Fridges and freezers have either stopped working entirely or have been partially impaired,” Coop spokesman Carlos Cancino told the French AFP news agency. He\u00a0noted that six of roughly 800 Coop stores in Sweden had been impacted, adding, “I haven’t received any information that this is a cyberattack.”<\/p>\n

Dutch supermarket chain Ahold Delhaize on Monday said an overnight “IT incident” had hit freezers in several of its stores in Belgium and Luxembourg.<\/p>\n

In Ireland, public broadcasterer RTE reported that 13 supermarkets had been impacted.<\/p>\n

Chains Carrefour, Intermarche and Spar were targeted as well, with Carrefour’s Belgium spokesman Mich Vergauwen saying, “It’s a cyberattack\u2026 There’s no other reason.”<\/p>\n

Belgium’s prosecutor’s office opened a criminal investigation into the attack, the Reuters news agency quoted a spokesperson as saying.<\/p>\n

European Commissioner \u200cfor Agriculture and \u200cFood \u200bChristophe Hansen on Monday called the attacks “a deliberate attempt to disrupt Europe’s food supplies,” stating that \u2060while “food \u200bsecurity is \u200bnot currently \u200bat risk, \u200cthe food waste \u200band \u2060impact on businesses \u2060are \u200breal.”<\/p>\n

“These incidents \u200cshow \u200bthat cyberattacks can disrupt services, affect \u200bbusinesses and directly affect \u2060citizens\u2019 \u200bdaily lives” added \u200ba Commission \u200bspokesperson.<\/p>\n

As on October 12, Monday’s disruption prompted the discarding of spoiled products and again raised concerns about food security.<\/p>\n

The ICA Kvantum branch in Sjobo in southern Sweden said temperatures in their systems were remotely dialed up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).<\/p>\n

Sweden’s National Cybersecurity<\/a> Center boss John Billow told the Reuters news agency on Monday that his department is investigating.<\/p>\n

“We have in recent weeks… identified that we have quite a lot of exposed \u2060operational technology devices in Sweden that \u200bwe have been clear about the necessity to update or patch,” he added.<\/p>\n

That “exposed operational technology” includes everything from refrigerators and heating systems to security cameras, alarm networks and an expanding \u200crange \u200bof devices that were once largely mechanical but are now often monitored and controlled remotely, creating new opportunities for cybercriminals as they seek to exploit security vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n

[analyse_source url=”https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/european-supermarkets-targeted-in-second-reported-cyberattack\/a-79831139″]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/79829182_6.jpg”] https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5Oxj1 Prefer DW on Google Food had to be thrown out at a number of European supermarkets after freezers were remotely set to defrostImage: Fredrik Sandberg\/TT NEWS AGENCY\/picture alliance Supermarkets in Belgium, Estonia, Ireland,\u00a0Luxembourg and Sweden reported anomalies in their freezer systems on Monday in an\u00a0apparent cyberattack similar to one in France […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,74],"class_list":["post-2233081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dw-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2233081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2233081"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2233081\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2233081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2233081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2233081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}