Cyberattacks hit supermarket fridges and freezers in Europe, Belgium launches investigation

Key Points:

• Dozens of supermarkets across Europe, including Belgium, Sweden, Estonia, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Ireland, have experienced overnight rises in refrigerator temperatures, believed to be caused by cyberattacks similar to a recent incident in France.
• In Belgium, around 75 stores from chains like Delhaize, Carrefour, Intermarché, Spar, and IKEA were affected, with temperatures reportedly reaching 17 degrees Celsius, leading to food wastage and prompting an official investigation by the federal prosecutor's office.
• The attacks exploited vulnerabilities in refrigeration systems' software, specifically triggering evaporators to switch to defrost mode; companies like Sabcobel and Danfoss noted that outdated software and insecure internet connections contributed to the risk.
• Other countries reported similar disruptions, with Swedish supermarkets ICA and Coop seeing temperatures rise to 50 degrees Celsius, Estonian chain Selver affected at one location, 13 SuperValu stores impacted in Ireland, and multiple companies in the Netherlands also targeted.
• Retailers have taken measures such as suspending ordering systems and enhancing security protocols, but experts warn that software updates alone are insufficient, requiring physical modifications and secure network management to prevent future attacks.