Hackers Force-Defrost European Supermarket Fridges — SkimNews
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- Coopérative U president Dominique Schelcher confirmed a cyberattack hit refrigeration production facilities across multiple store networks since Sunday night, calling it "extremely serious" and announcing an investigation with mobilized teams.
- Hackers targeted Danfoss-made refrigeration controls at French supermarkets Intermarché, Leclerc, and Coopérative U, reconfiguring the standard two-hour daily defrosting cycle into a continuous forced cycle set to 50°C.
- Albert Heijn, Etos, and Gall & Gall in the Netherlands had their websites knocked offline by a Sunday afternoon cybersecurity incident, with electronic shelf labels compromised and in-store pricing disrupted.
- Belgium's Delhaize, which belongs to Albert Heijn, also reported disruption, and it remains unclear whether the French and Dutch incidents are connected.
- Early losses are approaching €300,000, with La Dépêche reporting total losses could run into several million euros nationwide.
- Sources described "a wave of heat" escaping from affected fridges and freezers, and stores in Amsterdam posted warnings to customers about price problems and suspended loyalty programs.
Why it matters: Grocery chains across France, Belgium, and the Netherlands face early losses approaching €300,000 — and potentially millions — from a single cyberattack that weaponized Danfoss industrial refrigeration controls and electronic shelf labels, disrupting deliveries, pricing, and cold-chain operations simultaneously in multiple countries.
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