Suspected Hacks Hit European Supermarket Freezers

Suspected cyberattacks hit supermarket fridges and freezers across at least seven European countries. Sweden’s national cybersecurity centre said it found exposed cooling-system devices needing updates or patches. The incidents affected Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden. Some units warmed, leaving stores to discard spoiled food or pull it from sale. They followed a cyberattack in France the previous month that hit refrigeration at hundreds of stores, causing fires and major food losses. Such systems often connect to the internet for remote monitoring, creating a possible route into food operations. Belgian refrigeration company Sabcobel said attackers set evaporators to defrost mode and began disconnecting affected systems.