Dozens of food stores in Belgium and Sweden experienced a significant rise in refrigerator temperatures on Monday, as several related companies confirmed they were victims of a cyberattack. This technical glitch disrupted cooling systems, forcing some chains to dispose of spoiled food.
Impact in Belgium
Agence France-Presse reported that the Carrefour chain in Belgium announced disruptions in about 15 of its 700 stores across the country, while its spokesperson, Michel Verguin, stated: "What happened was a cyberattack... nothing else." Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the large "IKEA Belgium" store stated that a cyberattack targeted the chain's branch in Mons, in southwestern Belgium, causing refrigerator temperatures to rise suddenly in the early hours.
In the same context, the "Delhaize" supermarket chain reported that cooling systems in dozens of its stores were affected by a technical incident whose cause was not specified, although a sign attributing responsibility to cybercriminals was observed. For their part, store chains in Sweden pointed to similar effects, with the "IKEA" and "Coop" chains stating they are investigating the cause of the temperature rise in their refrigerators.
Details of the attack in Sweden
The "IKEA" store in Sjöbo, southern Sweden, announced on Facebook that its refrigerators were hacked and the temperature was raised to 50 degrees Celsius. This incident follows a widespread cyberattack on hundreds of major stores in France on October 12, which targeted cooling equipment control systems, causing temperatures inside refrigerators to rise and spoiling large quantities of fresh and frozen products.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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