Refrigerators at Delhaize and Carrefour supermarkets hacked

At least forty Delhaize supermarkets have been targeted in a hack affecting their refrigerated and frozen food display cases. Carrefour Belgium has also reported problems. The incident is reminiscent of the large-scale cyberattack on refrigerated display cases in French supermarkets last October.

Smaller shops in particular are affected

Delhaize confirmed to HLN and VTM Nieuws that an “IT incident” occurred involving the refrigeration and freezer systems in some of its supermarkets. At least forty stores are reported to have been affected, in both Flanders and Wallonia.

During the night from Sunday to Monday, Delhaize sent a text message to all its branch managers to warn them of sudden rises in temperature in the refrigeration systems at various shops, according to RTL Info. The temperature rose in fridges, but particularly in freezers, to around 15 degrees. The problem is said to have occurred mainly at Shop & Go shops next to Q8 petrol stations, at Delhaize Proxy shops, but also at some Delhaize supermarkets. At Carrefour Belgium, 15 shops are said to have been affected.

The news is reminiscent of the major hack on refrigeration systems that took place in France in October: at least 350 supermarkets were affected after hackers manipulated the electronic controls of refrigeration and freezer systems. The damage amounted to tens of millions.

Ahold Delhaize, Delhaize’s parent company, has only recently recovered from a major cyberattack in which many services were shut down for more than a week as a precaution.