Cyberattack Disrupts Refrigeration in Swedish Supermarkets and Food Businesses

On November 3, 2026, several Swedish supermarkets and food-related businesses suffered serious refrigeration failures due to a coordinated cyberattack. Temperatures in coolers and freezers at affected locations, including Ica Kvantum in Sjöbo and seven Coop stores in Gävle and Sundsvall, soared to nearly 50 degrees Celsius, leading to widespread food spoilage and financial losses estimated in the hundreds of thousands of kronor.

Small businesses like Marion Ringborg's Studio Canteen in Stockholm were also hit, where a fire alarm triggered by a freezer overheating led to extensive water damage and discarded high-value food items such as tuna and caviar. Ringborg highlighted the vulnerability of small businesses despite safety measures and plans to improve security by disconnecting coolers from network alarms.

The Danish supplier Danfoss, which provides cooling systems across Sweden, was similarly affected, having faced prior attacks disrupting stores in France. The National Cybersecurity Center (NCSC) is supporting the impacted businesses and issuing warnings about potential future attacks targeting food supply infrastructure, underscoring the critical nature of cybersecurity in this sector. NCSC advised companies to monitor connected refrigeration systems closely and ensure robust security protocols.

Cybersecurity expert Emil Olofsson suggested hackers gained access through exposed login credentials on internet-accessible control systems. Authorities continue investigations into the full scope and perpetrators of the attack, which also affected an Axfood consumer picking warehouse in Gothenburg.

The incidents have raised serious concerns about the vulnerability of Sweden’s food supply chain to cyber threats and the need for enhanced safeguards moving forward.