Fridge cyberattack hits supermarkets across Europe
Retailers in at least nine European nations faced refrigeration failures that spoiled food supplies, prompting EU warnings of intentional disruption.
A suspected cyberattack targeted grocery stores across at least nine European countries on Monday, leading the European Union to warn of a deliberate effort to disrupt the bloc's food supply chain. Retailers in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden encountered widespread refrigeration malfunctions after temperatures rose overnight, forcing several outlets to dispose of spoiled inventory.[1][2]
The disruptions follow a similar cyberattack three weeks earlier that impacted French grocery chains and forced hundreds of stores to discard ruined products. Supermarket chains in Sweden, Belgium, and Luxembourg confirmed that multiple locations were affected by the recent disruptions. No group has claimed responsibility for either incident, while EU food and agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen indicated that authorities are taking the events seriously.[1][2]
