New Cyberattack: Millions in Damage at Supermarkets in Belgium and Sweden

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents New Cyberattack: Millions in Damage at Supermarkets in Belgium and Sweden.

More than 50 degrees in the freezers of hundreds of supermarket branches – such were the dramatic effects of a new cyberattack that became known on Monday, 2 November 2026. In Belgium and Sweden, manipulation of the refrigeration systems reportedly led to millions in damage and the spoilage of merchandise.

For the affected markets, the incident means a double blow: refrigeration failed in parts of the branch network, while existing merchandise became unusable. The scale is considerable, although the available reports do not specify the exact damage totals.

The attack resembles an incident in France that, according to El País, had also affected supermarket refrigeration technology three weeks earlier. The similar method makes the current event more than a single technical malfunction – even though the cause, the attackers and the technical vulnerability have not yet been publicly identified.

The Attackers Controlled the Refrigeration Remotely

Remote manipulation rather than an ordinary failure

El País reports that the perpetrators remotely manipulated the refrigerators and thereby spoiled the merchandise. ABC.es specifies that freezers in hundreds of stores reached temperatures of more than 50 degrees.

The attack therefore targeted not only the companies' computer systems. The outages had an immediate impact on the cold chain in the branches: temperatures rose, and the affected merchandise could no longer be stored. The sources do not state how the attackers accessed the systems or whether other facilities were affected.

The reports put the damage in the millions. The exact amount and whether all affected merchandise was completely lost are not known. What is clear is that the intervention in the refrigeration controls led to immediate material losses at several supermarkets.

A Similar Attack Occurred in France Just Three Weeks Earlier

The same type of attack strikes European supermarkets again

The current incident comes shortly after a similar incident in France. According to El País, it occurred three weeks earlier. ABC.es likewise describes the Swedish and Belgian outages as similar to an event France experienced a few weeks ago.

This confirms reports about the scale in the two countries, although a common technical origin has not yet been established. Both report the manipulation of refrigeration systems, temperatures above 50 degrees and the resulting losses.

For the affected companies, the sequence of events is similarly serious: successful access to the refrigeration controls can affect a large number of branches simultaneously. The hundreds of stores mentioned illustrate the reach of the incident, although this does not yet allow the total number of locations actually affected to be inferred.

Belgium's Ahold Delhaize Confirms a Computer Incident

Ahold Delhaize is investigating the impact in Belgium and Luxembourg

For the multinational Ahold Delhaize group, the company confirmed a computer incident that affected the refrigeration systems of its stores in Belgium and Luxembourg. The company is investigating the incident.

“Computer incident”

In Sweden, ABC.es particularly mentions Ica and Coop, the country's two major supermarket chains. However, the source's wording is cautious: Both could be affected. The available reports do not contain any confirmed confirmation for the two companies.

Further details are also lacking on the scale of Ahold Delhaize's outages. The incident in Belgium and Luxembourg has been confirmed, while the remaining specifics are reserved for the ongoing investigation.

What Is Not Yet Known About the Attack

No information on the motive, damage total or technical vulnerability

The main open question is how the attackers were able to reach the refrigeration controls. Neither ABC.es nor El País names a specific security vulnerability, an extorted password or any groups involved. The exact amount of the millions in damage and the number of fully affected branches also remain unknown.

Nor has it been confirmed that Ica and Coop were actually affected. This qualification is important: Based on the current information, the attack in Belgium and Sweden is clear, while the attribution of the attack to individual Swedish chains has not yet been conclusively resolved.

Conclusion: Refrigeration Became the Direct Target of the Attack

The incident shows how directly a cyberattack on refrigeration technology can take effect: temperatures rise, merchandise spoils and the damage immediately affects the balance sheets of the affected supermarkets. The fact that the same type of attack occurred in France just three weeks earlier makes the outages in Belgium and Sweden particularly relevant.

What is firmly established is the remote manipulation, temperatures of more than 50 degrees, millions in damage and the computer incident in Belgium and Luxembourg confirmed by Ahold Delhaize. For Ica and Coop, it remains, for now, an unconfirmed possibility.