Posted on 11/02/2026 7:17:46 AM PST by BenLurkin
Suspected cyberattacks have triggered temperatures to rise in grocery store refrigeration systems in a growing number of countries across Europe.
Overnight temperature spikes were recorded in stores in Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden. On Monday, retailers and authorities pointed to alleged cyberattacks that underscored the vulnerability of systems that once largely operated mechanically.
The head of Sweden’s national cybersecurity centre, John Billow, confirmed on Monday to the Reuters news agency that the centre is responding to multiple incidents affecting store cooling systems.
The temperature of freezers in several Swedish stores rose suddenly overnight, store operators ICA and Coop said, while Swedish retailer Axfood said freezers at a distribution centre for home delivery of groceries in the Gothenburg area were hacked.
SuperValu, Ireland’s third-largest supermarket chain, said a specific model of refrigeration systems has been affected by a “cyber incident” at 13 of its 223 stores.
The Belga news agency reported overnight temperature increases at dozens of Ahold Delhaize stores in Belgium and Luxembourg. They were blamed on a cyberattack, according to the chief executive of refrigeration company, Sabcobel.
Stephan Moelans said the units’ evaporators were switched to defrost mode.
(Excerpt) Read more at aljazeera.com ...
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Maybe these cyber attacks was the reason for the advisory to stock up on food stuffs by the Brits last week.
IF they knew these cyber attacks were potentially coming and that they would not be able to stop them, it would be advisable to stock up on food.
Unlike, here in the USA, most EU citizens do not have 24 cubic foot fridges. Chest freezers and food for months in the pantry/basement, etc. Like so many of us do here in the USA. Many Europeans only have a minimal supply of food and water in their homes. Unless they live out in the country.
With ‘globalization’ (planetary control), this will be happening more and more. Everything is remotely controlled in order to squeeze out every penny of profit. Back in the day, there’d be one guy on each shift whose duties included making sure the refrigeration system was working properly. Now we have a much improved system whereby that position isn’t necessary any longer, and we have placed our food supply at risk. Is this progress?
These type of cyber attacks may be the only method Iran can strike back at the west. Except for terrorists that are already in our country. Sleeper cells that came in during the Biden/Obama administrations.
Not everything needs to hooked up to the internet. It’s a refrigerator! Set the temperature and leave it alone.
This is stupid. Disconnect the damned Wifi!.................
If they knew these attacks were coming; why the heck would they leave the freezers connected th the internet?
Exactly! Would you allow your neighbors, or even your relatives control your refrigerator, or anything in your home remotely? Then why even consider letting anyone with some hacking skills have access to the refrigerator in which you keep your food?
They could even increase the temperature at night, then cool it back down, and you wouldn't even know that they've been messing with food freshness.
'Smart' appliances are potentially unsafe appliances.
Exactly! Would you allow your neighbors, or even your relatives control your refrigerator, or anything in your home remotely? Then why even consider letting anyone with some hacking skills have access to the refrigerator in which you keep your food?
They could even increase the temperature at night, then cool it back down, and you wouldn't even know that they've been messing with food freshness.
'Smart' appliances are potentially unsafe appliances.
Take these peacetime attacks as warnings and start filling the security gaps in our modern societies before the attacks can be crippling and deadly.
Most likely they are all operated from a central IT location. Most likely in INDIA. So, they knew the vulnerability, but could not change it. Or they know it could happen, but it is CHEAPER to let it happen and claim it on insurance. It just means they are out of some things for a few days before they get replacements.
Similar to an electric utility that decides NOT to trim trees around its electrical wires. The utility knows that every year they are potentially going to get weather related outages from ice storms, heavy snow, wind, etc. Trees will break and bring down the lines. Power then goes out. Then they send out crews to cut up the tree and restore power on their lines.
They could be proactive and trim the trees around the lines.
Then they are less likely to lose power. That means hiring tree service companies and cut thousands of trees along hundreds of miles of roads. It is CHEAPER to wait until the trees break and then go out and fix the problems than being proactive. This is what my guess would be with the grocery stores too.
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