Denmark warns of cyberattacks on five firms' cooling systems
Danish authorities say five companies, including food and biotech firms, were hit by cyberattacks on refrigeration and freezer systems, as similar attacks struck supermarkets across Europe.
Denmark's Agency for Societal Security said it was aware of five Danish companies hit by cyberattacks targeting their cooling and freezing systems on Monday, as business group Dansk Industri issued a warning to its members.
Cybersecurity expert Jeppe Engell, of Dansk Industri, told news agency Ritzau that three Danish companies had been hit, after an unnamed Danish food producer faced an attempted cyberattack overnight. Two further cases were later registered at a catering company and a biotech company, the agency said, though it had no further details on whether the attacks were stopped or caused lasting damage.
Morten Bro, an office head at the Agency for Societal Security, told broadcaster TV 2 that the affected companies had managed to remove the hackers from their systems fairly quickly, with no major disruption seen. Dansk Industri urged member companies that use cooling and freezing technology to be especially alert to the threat.
The attacks followed similar strikes on grocery stores elsewhere in Europe on Monday, with foreign supermarkets reporting that refrigeration and freezer temperatures had been reset to 50 degrees Celsius. Danish retailers Coop and Salling Group both told Ritzau they had not been targeted. Authorities said grocery stores in Sweden, Ireland, Belgium, Estonia and Luxembourg were also hit on Monday.
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What we know
- Official · Agency for Societal Security Denmark's Agency for Societal Security said five Danish companies were hit by cyberattacks on their cooling and freezing systems on Monday.
- 2+ outlets · Berlingske, B.T. The affected sectors include food production, catering and biotech, Dansk Industri said.
- Official · Agency for Societal Security Companies removed the hackers quickly, with no major disruption, an official said.
- 2+ outlets · Berlingske, B.T. Similar cyberattacks hit grocery stores in Sweden, Ireland, Belgium, Estonia and Luxembourg the same day.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The attacks on Danish firms came the same day as a wave of cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems across several European countries, suggesting a coordinated campaign against food-sector cooling infrastructure rather than isolated incidents.
Sources
Reported by 2 reports from 2 independent outlets in 1 countries.
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Questions and answers
- What happened in Denmark?
- Five Danish companies, including food, catering and biotech firms, were hit by cyberattacks targeting their cooling and freezing systems.
- Was there damage?
- Officials said the companies removed the hackers quickly and no major disruption was seen, though full details were not available.
- Were other countries affected?
- Yes, grocery stores in Sweden, Ireland, Belgium, Estonia and Luxembourg reported similar attacks the same day.
This article was written with AI assistance from 2 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.