Fridges hacked, food spoiled: Cyberattack disrupts supermarkets across Europe
A cyberattack on supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe caused temperatures to rise, resulting in the loss of significant amounts of food. Major chains in Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, and Estonia were affected.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and supply chains to remote cyberattacks.
A suspected cyberattack targeting supermarket refrigeration systems has affected stores in Belgium, Estonia, Sweden and Ireland, forcing retailers to discard large quantities of spoiled food after the temperatures of fridges and freezers were remotely raised.The incident, reported overnight between Sunday and Monday, has hit several major supermarket chains, including Delhaize and Carrefour in Belgium, ICA and Coop in Sweden, and SuperValu in Ireland. Thirteen SuperValu stores were affected, while around 40 Delhaize outlets and 15 Carrefour stores in Belgium reported problems.In Belgium, some refrigeration units were reportedly set to as high as 70 degrees Celsius, causing an estimated €100,000 worth of food to be discarded at one Delhaize branch alone, according to local media reports.
Headlinne story · 6 newsrooms
Suspected Cyberattacks Disrupt Supermarket Refrigeration Systems Across European Countries
What every outlet reported, where they differ, and how each framed it →
Also covering this story
6 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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