Cyberattack reports hit Swedish and Belgian supermarket cooling systems
Several ICA and Coop stores in Sweden reported overnight failures in refrigeration systems, while around 40 Delhaize stores and smaller numbers of Carrefour and Spar stores in Belgium also reported problems. ICA confirmed an incident affecting a limited number of stores but has not confirmed a cyberattack; some store managers said temperatures reached 50°C and stock was spoiled. The incidents follow attacks on hundreds of French supermarkets in October, but no link between the events has been confirmed.
Bottom line — Coop confirmed problems at six Swedish stores; the full number affected and the cause remain unclear.
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ICA said the affected stores had connections outside its central network and is helping them manage the incident.
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At Sjöbo, store manager Rickard Nilsson told Swedish media that staff could not adjust the settings and had to discard food.
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Coop spokesperson Carlos Cancino said he could not yet confirm whether food had to be discarded.
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Cybersecurity expert Emil Olofsson told TT that French attackers accessed cooling controls, but said the Swedish incident’s cause is unknown.
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Reports from Sweden also mentioned affected stores in Estonia and Luxembourg, though details were limited.