Suspected cyberattacks disrupted refrigeration at grocery stores in at least nine European countries on Monday, 2 November, prompting the European Union to warn of a deliberate attempt to disrupt the food supply. According to Euronews, supermarkets in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden reported refrigeration problems, and some retailers discarded food after temperatures rose overnight.
EU Agriculture and Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen said the incidents were "a deliberate attempt to disrupt our food supply chain" and that the bloc was taking them "very seriously," according to Euronews.
Carrefour Belgium reported disruption in about 15 of its 700 stores. A spokesman said, "It’s a cyberattack, there is no other reason," according to Euronews.
In Estonia, hackers reportedly raised the temperature in refrigeration units at at least one supermarket to 50C, according to public broadcaster ERR, as cited by Euronews. The figure has not been officially confirmed in the sources available.
Coop in Sweden confirmed that six of its around 800 stores were hit. A spokesman said the affected stores were connected to a 4G network rather than the updated 5G system, making them "more exposed," according to Euronews. Coop said the problem has since been resolved.
Ica said the affected stores in Sweden were all connected to an external refrigeration control system provided by Danish manufacturer Danfoss, the same supplier targeted in the October 12 attack on French retailers, according to Euronews. Danfoss said the incidents across Europe involved its products, as was the case in France last month, according to the Japan Times. Danfoss had yet to respond to an AFP request for comment on the Ica statement.
The incidents follow a cyberattack three weeks earlier that disrupted French grocery stores and forced hundreds of outlets to throw away spoiled stock, according to Euronews. No one has claimed responsibility for either the French or the European incidents, and no attacker has been publicly identified. Finnish cybersecurity specialist Roni Kokkola said the spread beyond France had been expected and that vulnerabilities are being exploited "ever more actively and rapidly."
In Finland, Kesko said it was still investigating the cause and had not ruled out network interference. Federal prosecutors in Belgium have opened an investigation, but no details or findings are available.
Italy’s government was to hold a cybersecurity meeting with intelligence services on Tuesday. The outcome of that meeting is not yet in the sources. Several key details, including the Estonia temperature figure and the Italian attack details, rely on media and ERR reports without official confirmation, and the Japan Times and NPR National details could not be verified in full.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.