Cyberattacks on refrigeration systems at Swedish grocery stores changed freezer and cooler temperatures to about 50 degrees Celsius, forcing stores to discard food worth large sums, according to Techtidningen. Around 700 French grocery stores were hit by similar attacks in October.
It is not yet fully clear how attackers accessed the Swedish stores’ systems. Two pro-Russian hacker groups have claimed responsibility. Security experts Johan Nordin of Evolvit and Joakim Berghman of Mentcon told Techtidningen that the incidents point to a wider problem: companies often lack full control over external suppliers’ remote access.
Refrigeration, ventilation, alarms and production equipment are among systems suppliers may maintain remotely. The experts say access can remain active for years after installation or service, sometimes with no clear record of which accounts exist or who uses them. Common weaknesses include default passwords, shared accounts, internet-exposed equipment, missing multifactor authentication, outdated software and insufficient monitoring. Connected equipment sharing a network with other company systems can also give attackers a path further into the business.
The experts recommend inventorying systems and suppliers with remote access, closing unneeded connections, replacing default passwords, requiring multifactor authentication, separating connected equipment from other IT systems and monitoring logins and configuration changes. They say one-way data diodes may suit especially critical control systems, though they cost more.
Sweden’s Cybersecurity Act took effect on January 15, 2026, with implementing regulations added on October 1. Nordin and Berghman say some companies still do not know whether the law applies to them. They also recommend assigning a management owner, closing old access, testing backups and training employees. They cite Disa, a free online course from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency that takes about 25 minutes.
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