Grocery stores across Europe faced an overnight cyberattack on Monday, affecting the refrigerated and freezer sections and leading to product losses.
The new wave of cyberattacks affected grocery stores in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Estonia, Reuters previously reported..The attacks took place overnight, raising the temperatures both freezer and refrigerator units to 122 degrees Fahrenheit resulting in widespread food spoilage and some units catching fire.
The attacks affected major retailers across the continent including stores owned by Ahold Delhaize, Colruyt, ICA and Coop. IKEA—which also sells frozen food including its iconic meatballs—also saw at least one store affected.
Fast Company reached out to Ahold Delhaize, Colruyt, ICA and IKEA for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
Coop confirmed to Fast Company that around seven of 800 Sweden locations were affected by the attack, with issues ranging from complete refrigerator and freezer shutdowns to partially functioning equipment, and one instance of a system generating heat. According to Carlos Cancino, head of press relations at Coop Sweden, the affected locations are now fully operational again.
The incidents follow a similar cyberattack in France last month, which affected around 700 grocery stores with losses estimated at tens of millions of euros. The attacks, which also raised the freezer and refrigerator system’s temperature to around 122 degrees, caused loss of food and some fires.
“They are a deliberate attempt to disrupt our food supply chain and undermine consumers’ confidence in it—a warning that we must take seriously,” EU commissioner for agriculture, Christophe Hansen, told Reuters. “The repeated occurrence of these cyberattacks is deeply concerning.”
The widespread attacks have been possible due to technologies that allow for remote controlling in-store systems from freezers to surveillance cameras. Both attacks seem to have compromised internet-connected units using mostly temperature control technology from Danish engineering company Danfoss.
The attacks point to growing vulnerabilities in the food supply chain. Last year, United Natural Foods (UNFI) faced “unauthorized activity” on its IT systems, with grocery stores across the country experiencing disruptions as a result from the attacks.