European Supermarkets Rush to Secure Freezers After Cyberattacks Spoil Food

European supermarkets were racing Tuesday to secure their refrigeration systems after cyberattacks raised fridge and freezer temperatures, spoiled food and left retailers clearing out stock across several countries.

The latest wave hit stores Monday, following a similar attack on French supermarkets three weeks earlier. The incidents have exposed the risks of leaving older cooling equipment accessible over the public internet.

In Sweden, Coop said seven affected stores had reopened, but their refrigeration systems had been disconnected from the internet. The chain was also reviewing its wider store network for other weaknesses, Reuters reported.

Another Swedish chain, ICA, said all 23 stores affected in Monday's attack had equipment connected outside its centrally managed store network. Carrefour, which had 80 franchised stores hit in France last month, was affected again at 15 stores in Belgium.

Refrigeration technology supplier Danfoss said it was working with customers and warned that systems should not be directly accessible through the internet. Security specialists urged retailers to check controllers for vulnerabilities, install current updates and disconnect exposed equipment while addressing the underlying problems.

Italy held talks with intelligence chiefs and its National Cyber Security Agency Tuesday. The government said the impact there was limited to a small number of commercial units with outdated security systems and weak authentication, according to AFP.

European officials are coordinating their response. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, AFP reported, and the available reports do not establish who carried them out.