Can your refrigerators be hacked?:After computers and phones, hackers now target supermarket; hits stores across Europe

Imagine walking into a supermarket to buy milk, ice cream or fresh vegetables, only to find that all the refrigerators and freezers have stopped working. Sounds unusual, right? But this is reportedly what happened at several supermarkets across Europe after a suspected cyberattack targeted their cooling systems. Supermarkets in Belgium, Sweden and Ireland have reported disruptions, with some stores forced to throw away spoiled food and temporarily shut down. Major retail chains, including Delhaize, Carrefour, ICA and Coop, have also reported problems. While the exact details of the suspected cyberattack are still unclear, investigations are underway to find out who was behind it and how the stores’ cooling systems were accessed. Here is what happened and how the incident affected supermarkets across Europe. Supermarket refrigerators and freezers hit by suspected cyberattack
According to a BBC report, several supermarkets across Belgium, Sweden and Ireland experienced problems with their refrigerators and freezers after a suspected cyberattack. Local media reports said that around 40 Delhaize stores in Belgium and Luxembourg were affected. A Delhaize spokesperson described the incident as a “computer incident” that took place overnight and disrupted the cooling systems of around 40 stores. The impact was particularly serious at a supermarket in Hoeilaart, a town in Belgium’s Flemish Brabant province. The store reportedly lost food products worth around €100,000 because of the refrigeration failure. The store manager also pointed out that this figure did not include the additional financial losses caused by temporarily closing the shop. French retail giant Carrefour also confirmed that 15 of its stores in Belgium were affected. However, the company said it took immediate action to ensure that its supermarkets could continue operating. Swedish supermarkets find freezer temperatures changed to 50°C
The suspected cyberattack also affected grocery stores in Sweden. ICA, one of the country’s biggest supermarket chains, confirmed that a small number of stores outside its central network had experienced problems. The company said it was helping the affected stores deal with the situation. One ICA supermarket in Sjöbo shared a post on social media, claiming that hackers had accessed its refrigerators and freezers overnight and changed their temperature settings to 50 degrees Celsius. The store had to close temporarily because of the incident. However, it has since resumed operations. The damage was also visible at another ICA outlet on Odengatan in Stockholm, where an employee was photographed throwing away bags of spoiled food. Meanwhile, seven stores belonging to Swedish supermarket chain Coop, which operates around 800 stores in the country, were also affected. The company later told the BBC that the situation was under control. Cybersecurity agencies investigate the incident Authorities in Belgium and Sweden have confirmed that their national cybersecurity agencies are monitoring the situation. However, investigators have not yet established who carried out the suspected cyberattack or exactly how the hackers managed to access the supermarkets’ cooling systems. The incident has also raised concerns because it follows a similar case reported in France last month, which reportedly affected hundreds of supermarkets. These incidents have drawn attention to the cybersecurity risks faced by supermarkets, particularly when essential equipment such as refrigerators and freezers is connected to digital systems.