European countries are facing another suspected cyberattack — this time affecting dozens of grocery stores in a hit to the EU’s food supply.
Concerns have continued to grow as another cyberattack affected the cooling units in a number of grocery stores across multiple countries in Europe.
‘They are a deliberate attempt to disrupt our food supply chain and undermine consumers’ confidence in it — a warning that we must take seriously.’
The attacks, which hit stores on Monday, affected a number of supermarkets in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Estonia, and Ireland, according to multiple sources.
The affected stores include Ahold Delhaize and Colruyt in Belgium and Luxembourg and ICA and Coop in Sweden. IKEA also had one store affected in the attack, according to CNBC.
The attack caused temperatures to rise in refrigerator and freezer units, forcing some stores to dispose of spoiled food.
An ICA sales manager reportedly told Reuters that all of her store’s freezers reached 50 degrees Celsius — over 120 degrees Fahrenheit — as a result of the attack.
RELATED: 11 MILLION accounts breached as new cyberattack rocks this popular gaming company
Wiktor Dabkowski/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The European Commission has reportedly shown increased concern about the digital threats, which have proved to be extremely disruptive.
“They are a deliberate attempt to disrupt our food supply chain and undermine consumers’ confidence in it — a warning that we must take seriously,” EU commissioner for agriculture Christophe Hansen told CNBC. “The repeated occurrence of these cyberattacks is deeply concerning.”
According to ABC News, a spokesperson for the Delhaize chain told reporters that an “IT incident” had affected a number of stores primarily in Belgium but also in Luxembourg.
“In the affected stores, the range of fresh and frozen products is temporarily somewhat limited. Our distribution centers are operating normally, and there has been no disruption to deliveries to our stores,” spokesperson Sarah De Meester told ABC.
The attack follows a similar cybersecurity incident in France last month in which around 700 of the country’s roughly 10,000 supermarkets — including leading chains like Intermarché, Carrefour, Coopérative U, E.Leclerc, and Monoprix — were affected, according to Cyber Breaches.
The investigation into the nature of the attack and the suspected perpetrators is ongoing.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Food supply chain, Grocery stores, Tech
