02.11.2026 17:51
Cyber attacks were carried out on supermarket refrigeration systems in Estonia, Ireland, and the Netherlands. In Estonia, the freezers of a chain were raised to 50 degrees. While the attack was detected in 10 minutes and damage was prevented, in Finland the connection of the problems is being investigated.
While cyberattacks are being carried out against the refrigeration systems of supermarkets and other businesses in Estonia, Ireland, and the Netherlands, it is also being investigated in Finland whether problems experienced in the refrigeration systems of some supermarkets are linked to a cyberattack.
TEMPERATURE ROSE TO 50 DEGREES
According to a report by Estonian Public Broadcasting ERR, unidentified attackers accessed the system of a large supermarket chain that is a customer of Kitman Coldtech, a company that manufactures refrigeration systems, and raised the temperature setting of freezers to 50 degrees Celsius.
The company's chief executive Jann Mutso did not disclose the name of the supermarket chain that was attacked, but said that other customers in Estonia had also been targets of similar attacks. Mutso, noting that the attackers accessed computers controlling an old-style refrigeration system and changed the temperature settings, stated that the attack method overlapped with similar incidents in France and the Netherlands last month.
THEY TARGETED OLD AND UNUPDATED DEVICES
Mutso, who reported that supermarket chains had begun taking precautions against attacks and were updating their control devices, stated that old and unupdated devices were the target of the attackers.
Mutso noted that the attack was detected and responded to within 10 minutes, and therefore no damage occurred.
FOOD PRODUCTS SPOILED
According to a report by Finland's public broadcaster Yle, problems were experienced in the refrigeration systems of some supermarket chains operating throughout the country.
Officials from Kesko, one of Finland's large supermarket chains, reported that some food products had spoiled due to the rise in temperature in refrigerators and that they were investigating the cause of the incident without ruling out the possibility of intervention over the internet. An investigation into the incident has been launched.
PRODUCTS WERE REMOVED FROM SALE
Problems were also experienced in the refrigeration systems of 13 branches of the SuperValu supermarket chain in Ireland due to a cyberattack.
In a statement from Musgrave, the owner of the supermarket chain, it was stated that refrigerators of certain models were affected by the attack and that the effects of the incident remained limited. The statement noted that chilled and frozen foods in the affected branches were removed from sale as a precaution. It was reported that the problem in the refrigeration systems also caused some branches to open late.
According to a report by the Dutch public broadcaster NOS, cyberattacks were carried out against the freezer and refrigeration systems of at least 17 businesses in the country, and it was reported that the attackers changed the temperature settings in the systems.
It was stated that the businesses attacked included small neighborhood markets and butcher shops, while large supermarket chains were not affected by the attacks.
It was noted that the systems that were attacked were connected to insecure networks and protected with easily guessable passwords. Cyberattacks had also been carried out against the refrigeration systems of some supermarket chains in Sweden, Belgium, and Luxembourg.