STOCKHOLM: Grocery stores in at least seven European countries saw temperatures in their cold cases soar on Monday, with several confirming they had been hit by a cyberattack similar to one three weeks ago in France.
Supermarkets in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden were among those affected in the latest hacker attack.
Stores were forced to throw out food that had spoiled orriskedbeingspoiled andrestock theirrefrigeration units with fresh items. Major French retailers said on Oct 12 that hundreds of store refrigeration systems were hit by a cyberattack, which also forced them to toss food and raised concerns about food security. No one has claimed responsibility for either attack.
Carrefour Belgium on Monday reported disruption in about 15 of its 700 stores. ‘It’s a cyberattack, there is no other reason,’ said spokesman Mich Vergauwen.
An Ikea Belgium spokeswoman likewise said a cyberattack hit its store in Mons, southwestern Belgium, causing the temperature of freezers to rise suddenly in the early hours of Monday.
Chains Delhaize, Colruyt and Intermarche also experienced technical problems affecting their fridges in Belgium, while Delhaize reported that four of its stores in Luxembourg were also affected.
Belgian industrial refrigeration group Sabcobel saidit had begun securing its installations after the O ct 12 attack in France, but around 10pc were still not fixed and some were in the shops affected on Monday.
‘If Sabcobel hadn’t started this operation ... the impact would have been much more important,’ chief executive Stephan Moelans said. Musgrave, which owns Supervalu in Ireland, said 13 of its stores were affected, as were a small number of corner shops in the Netherlands.
In Sweden, chain Coop confirmed six of its around 800 stores had been hit by a cyberattack early Monday.
‘We can confirm that it is a cyber incident. The problem has now been resolved and the fridges and freezers are working as normal,’ spokesman Carlos Cancino said. He said Coop did not know who was behind the attack, but noted that the affected stores had been connected to a 4G mobile network, not the updated 5G system, which made them ‘more exposed’ to hackers.
‘Vulnerabilities’ Swedish chain Ica also said ‘a limited number’ of its stores experienced refrigeration problems, but the group could not confirm a cyberattack was the cause.
According to Ica spokesperson Helena Johansson, the affected stores were all connected to an external refrigeration control system provided by Danish manufacturer Danfoss the same supplier targeted in the Oct 12 cyberattack on French retailers.
She referred all queries to Danfoss.
One Ica store located in Sjobo, in southern Sweden, posted on Facebook that its fridges and freezers had ‘been hacked and they set the temperature at 50 degrees’ Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). In Finland, irregular temperatures had also been detected in a few smaller grocery stores belonging to the Kesko group.-AFP