European supermarkets have been hit by another cyberattack, disrupting refrigeration systems in stores across Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg on Monday and causing temperatures in fridges and freezers to rise.
The incident follows a similar attack in France last month.
Supermarket operators Ahold Delhaize and Colruyt said an overnight IT incident affected refrigeration systems in dozens of their stores in Belgium and Luxembourg. Swedish grocery chains ICA and Coop also reported similar disruptions, with temperatures rising in their refrigeration units.
“There has been a cyberattack and all our freezers reached 50 degrees (Celsius),” Engla Ingwall, sales manager at an ICA franchise store in Stockholm, told Reuters,
He said the attack occurred at 2 a.m. (0100 GMT) but was not detected until several hours later.
“Everything is destroyed,” he added.
There have also been reports of disruptions at supermarkets in Finland and Estonia, although the affected retail chains were not identified.
The ahead of Sweden’s National Cyber Security Centre, John Billow said the agency is investigating several cases involving disruptions to supermarket cooling systems.
ICA told the BBC that all affected stores operate outside its central network. Coop, meanwhile, said the number of affected stores in Sweden had risen from six to seven out of its 800 outlets, adding that the situation remained under control.
In Belgium, about five Spar stores also reported disruptions. Refrigerators and freezers at Delhaize outlets recorded temperatures as high as 15°C, according to broadcaster VRT.
No group or individual has so far claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Refrigerators and freezers at several Swedish supermarkets experienced temperature rises overnight into Monday, resulting in food spoilage and prompting suspicions of a cyberattack.
