A suspected cyberattack targeted refrigeration systems at several supermarkets across Belgium overnight from Sunday to Monday, causing temperatures in fridges and freezers to rise sharply.
Supermarket chain Delhaize confirmed that an “IT incident” had affected refrigeration and freezer systems at around 40 of its stores, while Carrefour Belgium reported similar problems at 15 locations.
According to RTL Info, several store managers received a warning from Delhaize at around 4.00 am, informing them that temperatures in their refrigeration systems were rising.
Several stores reported the same problem, with temperatures in fridges and freezers suddenly climbing to around 15°C.
Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia have been affected. The disruption mainly concerns Shop & Go convenience stores attached to Q8 petrol stations, Proxy Delhaize outlets, some larger Delhaize supermarkets, and shops along motorways.
Credit: The Brussels Times
Store managers and staff reportedly rushed to their premises to limit potential losses, with some arranging refrigerated lorries to preserve their stock.
Carrefour Belgium also reported an incident on Monday morning, confirming shortly after 9.00 am that 15 stores had been affected. The French retail group said it was “analysing the situation”.
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Refrigeration settings altered remotely
The De Laet and Van Haver butcher’s chain, which operates in the Antwerp area, also reported sudden changes in the temperatures of its refrigeration systems.
Alarms were triggered at around 3.00 am after the systems’ settings were altered remotely.
“These settings were changed, which altered the behaviour of the refrigeration systems,” Werner Muylle, operations team leader at the butcher’s chain, told Belga.
“The evaporators had been switched to defrost mode, causing the components inside the refrigerators to heat up to carry out the defrosting process.”
Staff intervened in time and managed to pause the system before the refrigerators reached excessively high temperatures.
The incident is reminiscent of a large-scale cyberattack targeting supermarket refrigeration systems in France in mid-October, which affected around 150 stores.
The cause of Monday’s disruption in Belgium has not yet been confirmed.
