FACTS
Supermarkets in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Estonia, the Netherlands and Ireland woke up Monday to fridges and freezers that had been switched off overnight in what companies and officials describe as a cyberattack, forcing stores to throw out spoiled food.
About 40 Delhaize stores in Belgium and Luxembourg were hit, along with 15 Carrefour stores in Belgium and five Spar shops, AP and Euronews report. Stephan Moelans, CEO of Sabcobel, which runs Delhaize's refrigeration systems, told the Belga news agency it was a cyberattack that switched the units' evaporators into defrost mode, the same method used last month against hundreds of French supermarkets. He said a software patch alone won't fix the weakness. In Sweden, an ICA store in Sjöbo said its freezers had been "hacked" and set to 50°C (122°F); Coop said six of its stores were affected. Musgrave said 13 SuperValu stores in Ireland were hit, and supplier Danfoss said systems at at least 17 Dutch companies were attacked, Euronews reports.
One Belgian Delhaize manager put his losses at €100,000 in produce. Belgian and Swedish cybersecurity agencies say they are investigating. No one has claimed responsibility.
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