European supermarkets from Sweden to Belgium and Ireland reported overnight hacks that cranked their refrigerator temperatures to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, destroying food and forcing emergency shutdowns of cooling systems. “Everything is destroyed,” said an ICA store manager in Stockholm, where freezers soared to 122 degrees. “In the affected stores, the range of fresh and frozen products is temporarily somewhat limited,” spokesperson Sarah De Meester of Belgium’s Delhaize chain said, blaming an “IT incident,” per the AP.
Chains including Delhaize, Colruyt, ICA, Coop, Carrefour, and Ireland’s Musgrave have all been hit, reports CNBC, echoing an attack in France last month that targeted hundreds of stores. No group has claimed responsibility, and authorities have not linked the incidents. Cybersecurity experts say the lack of ransom demands suggests sabotage, and warn that internet-connected cooling and building systems make retail an appealing, and vulnerable, target.