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Suspected cyber-attack hits freezers at dozens of supermarkets in Belgium, Sweden
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A suspected cyber-attack has disrupted refrigerators and freezers at dozens of supermarkets in Belgium and Sweden, with some stores in Ireland also affected. Around 40 Delhaize supermarkets and 15 Carrefour stores were impacted in Belgium, while several ICA and Coop shops were hit in Sweden, and 13 SuperValu shops in Ireland were also affected. Local media reported thousands of euros worth of food was thrown away, and one ICA store in Sweden said its freezer temperatures had been set to 50 C (122F). Delhaize described a "computer incident" occurring overnight at 40 shops, Carrefour said it was analysing the incident at 15 Belgian stores, and ICA said a small number of stores outside its central network were affected and it was supporting them. Coop said seven of its 800 Swedish stores were affected but the situation was contained. It is unclear who is behind the attack, which follows a similar incident last month affecting hundreds of French supermarkets.
Source report
Freezers have had to be emptied at several ICA grocery stores in Sweden after the cyber-attack
By James Gregory
Updated 4 minutes ago
Dozens of supermarkets in Belgium and Sweden have been hit by a suspected cyber-attack affecting their refrigerators and freezers.
Around 40 Delhaize supermarkets and 15 Carrefour stores were affected in Belgium, while several ICA and Coop shops in Sweden were hit. Thirteen SuperValu shops have also been impacted in Ireland.
Thousands of euros worth of food has had to be thrown away, according to local media reports, with one ICA store in Sweden saying temperatures for its freezers had been set to 50 C (122F).
It is not clear who is behind the attack, which follows a similar incident last month that affected hundreds of French supermarkets.
Store Responses
Delhaize, one of Belgium's biggest supermarket chains, told Belgian media a "computer incident" had occurred overnight at 40 shops.
Carrefour, a French-owned supermarket, said it was "currently analysing" the incident at 15 of its Belgian stores.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for ICA in Sweden confirmed the incident had affected a "small number of ICA stores operating outside ICA's central network".
"ICA is currently supporting the affected stores in managing the situation," they said.
One of the ICA branches located in Sjöbo, southern Sweden, wrote on social media: "Our refrigerators and freezers have been hacked overnight and they have set the temperature to 50 degrees."
The store was closed earlier but has now reopened to customers.
Seven out of the 800 Coop stores in Sweden are also affected, but the "situation is currently contained and under control", the company told the BBC.
Related Topics
- Belgium
- Sweden
- Supermarkets
- Cyber-attacks
Source
BBC NewsWestern
Part of this Story
Suspected cyber-attack disrupts supermarket freezers in Belgium, Sweden and Luxembourg