Suspected cyber-attack on supermarket fridges and freezers hits at least nine European countries

Supermarkets in at least nine European countries were hit overnight into Monday 2 November by a suspected cyber-attack on their fridges and freezers. This report draws on AFP, BBC News, ERR News, Reuters (in copy published by NBC News) and the Guardian. ## Update: nine countries affected Supermarkets in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden reported refrigeration problems, AFP and BBC News report. Belgian federal prosecutors have opened an investigation, and no one has claimed responsibility. Swedish chain Ica said its affected stores were connected to an external refrigeration control system supplied by the Danish manufacturer Danfoss, AFP reports; Ica did not confirm a cyber-attack. EU food and agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen called the incidents "a deliberate attempt to disrupt our food supply chain and undermine consumers' confidence in it", and Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said they showed "how cyber-attacks can disrupt essential services", BBC News reports. ## What happened About 40 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were affected, BBC News and the Guardian reported on Monday. Carrefour Belgium said about 15 of its 700 stores were hit, AFP reports, and in Ireland Musgrave said 13 SuperValu stores were affected. Stephan Moelans, chief executive of Sabcobel, the Belgian company that operates Delhaize's refrigeration systems, told the Belga news agency it was a cyber-attack, Reuters and the BBC report. In Estonia, hackers raised the temperature in refrigeration units at one supermarket to 50C, ERR News reports. Elsewhere, at least four Coop supermarkets in Sicily and one business in Tuscany were affected in Italy; the Mosqueteiros group linked incidents at seven Intermarché stores in Portugal to a cyber-attack; Coop said six of its roughly 800 Swedish stores were hit; and irregular temperatures were detected at a few smaller Kesko group stores in Finland, AFP reports. The incidents came three weeks after a cyber-attack disrupted hundreds of French grocery stores.