What happened?
A cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems at supermarket chains in Belgium and Sweden remotely raised the temperature of online-controlled freezers to 50°C. According to Bloomberg, the attack hit supermarkets owned by Dutch group Ahold Delhaize as well as ICA and Coop stores in Sweden.
Repeat of the France attack
As in the previous incident in France, attackers remotely activated the freezers' built-in defrost mode, overriding temperature and duration settings. In Belgium, at least twenty units are estimated to be affected across Delhaize, Carrefour and Spar chains.
Scene at stores
Similar disruptions were reported at ICA and Coop stores in Sweden. Images showed staff throwing away shopping carts full of goods. One ICA store said on social media it was "extremely sad and working hard to get everything back up and running."
Why it matters
The incident highlights how dependent basic infrastructure is on internet connectivity and how cyberattacks on the physical world are increasing. The report also notes that the rise in such intrusions appears to parallel the proliferation of AI agents.
