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On the 2nd, dozens of supermarkets in seven European countries were attacked by a cyberattack that targeted refrigerators and freezers.
Approximately 40 Delhuise supermarkets were affected in Belgium and Luxembourg. Some stores were also damaged in Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia and Finland.
Temperatures inside freezers are said to have risen to up to 50 degrees Celsius in several stores across Europe.
It is not known who was behind this attack.
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Most supermarkets in Europe are connected to the internet, allowing them to be managed and problem-solved remotely.
Some of the refrigerators attacked were manufactured by Belgian company Subkobel. The company said the refrigerator's evaporator switched to defrost mode, causing the internal temperature to rise. This is believed to be the same method used in an attack that affected hundreds of supermarkets in France in October. French media reported at the time that the attack forced stores to throw away millions of euros worth of food.
Stefan Mehrans, CEO of Subkobel, which operates Delheyse's refrigeration and freezing systems, told Berga News Agency on the 2nd that the incident was the result of a cyber attack and that the company was "working all night to disconnect the affected equipment from the network."
Meyrans said that since the October attack in France, the company has been working to "protect our customers' refrigerators from this vulnerability," but that physical modifications are needed in addition to software updates.
"The simplest solution is to manage your refrigerator through a secure internet connection. After the terrorist attacks in France, most of our customers switched to this method," added Mehrans.
The national cybersecurity agencies of both Belgium and Sweden said they were monitoring the incident.
Britain's National Cyber Security Center said it was working with international partners and industry to "understand the full details of the situation". There are no reports of a similar situation in the UK.
In the United States, authorities are investigating the cause of refrigeration equipment malfunctions that occurred at several U.S. military bases in August, and are working with French authorities to determine if there is a connection to the incidents in France.
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Damage to stores across Europe
Belgian supermarket giant Delhaize's branch in Flanders-Heulaard told a news site that it had to throw away 100,000 euros (about 17.7 million yen) worth of fruits and vegetables. In addition, this estimate does not include losses associated with store closures.
French retail giant Carrefour announced that 15 of its stores in Belgium were affected by the attack. It said it took immediate measures to ensure all stores remained open.
A spokesperson for Colluit Group, the Belgian operator of food retailer Spar, told Reuters that the refrigeration systems at five of its stores had been attacked.
Swedish furniture retailer IKEA announced that the refrigeration system at its store in Mons, western Belgium, was affected. According to Reuters, a company spokesperson said, ``We cannot deny the possibility that other stores will also be affected.''
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In Sweden, multiple ICA and Co-op stores were damaged.
An ICA spokesperson confirmed that the incident had affected "a small number of ICA stores operating outside of ICA's central network" and said: "ICA is currently assisting affected stores to deal with the situation."
"The fridge and freezer were hacked last night and the temperature was set to 50 degrees," one of the ICA branches in Sjøbo in southern Sweden posted on social media. This store has reopened after being closed.
Seven of the Coop's 800 stores in Sweden were also affected, but the company told the BBC: "The situation is now contained and under control."
In neighboring Finland, refrigerators were found to be malfunctioning in some K stores operated by food retailer Kesko. The company's owner told the Finnish newspaper that its security experts are investigating the cause of the problem.
The attack also affected stores in Ireland, the Netherlands, and Estonia.
In Ireland, 13 Supervalue stores were affected. A spokesperson for Musgrave Group, which runs the chain, confirmed to the Irish Times that its refrigeration systems had been hit by a "cyber attack", but said the impact was limited to "certain types" of refrigerators.
Some of the affected network-connected refrigeration and refrigeration equipment used temperature control technology from Danish company Danfoss. A company spokesperson told Dutch public radio station NOS that the refrigeration and cooling systems of at least 17 companies in the Netherlands were attacked overnight, damaging butcher shops and small shops.
According to Estonian Public Broadcasting, Servel stores in the country were affected, and other businesses in the country were also affected.
(English article Shop freezers in seven European countries hit by cyber-attack)
