Christophe Hansen Says Suspected Supermarket Freezer Attacks Hit at Least 9 European Countries

Suspected cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems affected stores in at least nine European countries on Monday, Nov. 2, according to reports from major retailers. The incidents reportedly raised temperatures in some freezers to as high as 50°C, prompting stores to discard food or remove products as a precaution. Christophe Hansen, the European Union’s commissioner for agriculture, described the incidents as a deliberate attempt to disrupt the food supply chain and undermine consumer confidence in it.

The affected countries were Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. Retail chains reporting problems included Carrefour, Ahold Delhaize, Coop, SuperValu, Intermarché and ICA. Hansen said EU food safety was not currently at risk, but that food waste and harm to businesses were real concerns.

In Belgium, the country’s Cybersecurity Center said it was aware of incidents involving refrigeration systems, and the Federal Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation. Stores belonging to Carrefour, Delhaize and Intermarché, among other chains, were affected. In Sweden, ICA, the country’s largest supermarket chain, confirmed that an unspecified number of its stores had been hit. Coop also reported incidents affecting freezers, some of which reached 50°C. The Swedish National Cybersecurity Center opened an investigation.

The Swedish center said it was monitoring incidents affecting freezing and refrigeration systems in food retail, communicating with affected companies and exchanging information with counterparts in Nordic countries and elsewhere in Europe. Its statement described a cross-border information-sharing effort as authorities monitored the impact on businesses.

In Italy, the National Cybersecurity Agency was notified of attacks affecting Coop locations. The government met Tuesday, Nov. 3, with Alfredo Mantovano, undersecretary to the Council of Ministers, and Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida. In a statement, the government said initial findings indicated that the impact in Italy was limited so far, with only a few commercial locations affected compared with the thousands across the country. It said efforts to mitigate and anticipate similar attacks were underway, adding that there was no reason for alarm but that relevant government agencies remained highly vigilant.

In the Netherlands, at least 17 businesses were affected, including butcher shops and small markets. The Dutch National Cybersecurity Center said it was closely monitoring the situation, investigating the incidents and sharing information with affected companies and international partners. Stores were also affected in Estonia, Ireland, Finland, Portugal and Luxembourg. Less than a month earlier, a large-scale incident in France affected about 700 stores, according to the French government.