More grocery stores in Europe report fridge and freezer temperature spikes as apparent cyberattacks continue

Key Points:

• Grocery store chains in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, and the Netherlands experienced unexpected temperature spikes in refrigerators and freezers on Monday, ruining food and raising concerns about cyberattacks on interconnected infrastructure.
• Belgian and Dutch retailers Ahold Delhaize and Colruyt, as well as Swedish chains ICA and Coop, reported the incidents, with one Swedish store explicitly blaming a cyberattack for the temperature surge.
• The incidents follow a similar cyberattack less than three weeks ago targeting French supermarket chains, which caused refrigerator temperatures to rise to 122°F and forced the disposal of large amounts of spoiled food.
• Belgian refrigeration company Sabcobel confirmed the cause as a cyberattack that switched evaporators into defrost mode, and technicians have been working to disconnect affected units and implement physical security measures.
• European authorities and industry leaders have highlighted the severity of these attacks on food security, with no group yet claiming responsibility, and prosecutors in Paris reporting that the earlier French attacks also caused fires due to equipment overheating.