Supermarket chains in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, and Estonia reported refrigeration failures on Monday, November 2, 2026, which multiple retailers and service providers attributed to a suspected cyberattack. The incident caused refrigerator and freezer temperatures to rise overnight, in some cases reaching 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), resulting in the disposal of large quantities of perishable food. National cybersecurity agencies in Sweden and Belgium confirmed they are monitoring the situation, though no group has claimed responsibility for the disruption.
The event follows a similar series of incidents in France in October 2026, where hackers gained remote control of cooling units at hundreds of supermarkets. In that earlier attack, hackers bypassed alarm systems and adjusted thermostats, primarily targeting internet-connected controllers. The Paris prosecutor’s office and France’s national cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, have been investigating those prior events, which also resulted in food losses and reports of fires.
In the current incident, Belgian retailer Ahold Delhaize reported that approximately 40 of its stores were affected. A branch manager in Hoeilaart estimated produce losses at €100,000, excluding the cost of store closure. In Sweden, the ICA chain reported a "limited number" of stores were hit, while the Coop chain confirmed six of its stores were impacted. Stephan Moelans, CEO of the refrigeration firm Sabcobel, told Belgian media that technicians began working at 1 a.m. to disconnect affected installations from the grid after evaporators were remotely switched to defrost mode.
A person living near an affected store would have noticed closures or empty shelves in the fresh and frozen food aisles starting early Monday morning. Because most modern supermarket cooling systems are internet-connected for remote maintenance, this event demonstrates a vulnerability in retail infrastructure. The method reported—remotely setting freezers to 50 degrees Celsius—can destroy inventory within hours, forcing immediate disposal of meat, dairy, and frozen goods to comply with health safety standards.
The incident sets a precedent for cross-border disruptions targeting the food supply chain. John Billow, head of Sweden’s national cybersecurity center, stated that officials have recently identified numerous exposed operational technology devices in the country that require security patches. While some stores, such as an ICA branch in Sjöbo, have already reopened, technicians continue to work on disconnecting and resetting systems. National cybersecurity agencies have not yet provided a deadline for the conclusion of their investigations or identified the origin of the attack.