Delhaize stores in Belgium fully open again after cyberattack

Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium are no longer affected by the cyberattack that hacked their freezers and fridges on Monday. A spokesperson for the chain says supplies are running to plan and all stores are fully operational again.

A spokesperson for Ahold Delhaize, the parent company, said it took measures straight away to limit the impact and keep stores operational. The spokesperson called it very regrettable that valuable food had to be thrown away.

On Monday, hackers operated the cooling systems of supermarkets and an IKEA store in Belgium remotely and let temperatures rise. Shops in several other European countries were hit as well.

The unknown attackers put the cooling installations into defrost mode, so fridges and freezers warmed up. Cooling installer Sabcobel says this is the same mechanism used in the large-scale cyberattack on hundreds of shops in France at the beginning of October.

European Commissioner Christophe Hansen, who is responsible for agriculture and food, said the attack appears to have been a deliberate attempt to disrupt the food supply.