Suspected Cyberattack Hits Supermarket Refrigeration Systems Across Nine European Countries

2026, November 3

Belgium / Sweden / Finland / Estonia / Ireland / Italy / Luxembourg / Netherlands / Portugal

A suspected coordinated cyberattack disrupted supermarket refrigeration and freezer systems across at least nine European countries, forcing retailers to discard potentially contaminated food. The affected countries include Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal. In some stores, hackers reportedly manipulated refrigeration controls, raising temperatures to as high as 50°C. The European Union warned that the incidents could represent a deliberate attempt to disrupt the bloc's food supply chain.

The attacks affected major retailers, including Carrefour, IKEA, Coop and SuperValu, with several stores reporting substantial losses of refrigerated and frozen products. No organisation has claimed responsibility, and investigators have not identified the perpetrators. Cybersecurity specialists have highlighted vulnerabilities in internet-connected refrigeration equipment, particularly older systems that have not received essential security updates. The incidents follow a similar attack on hundreds of French supermarkets in October.