Cyberattack disrupts cooling at Swiss butcher and three Volg stores

A cyberattack altered the cooling controls at Lüthi's Fleischwaren in Köniz, in Switzerland's Bern canton.

The butcher said its refrigeration and freezer systems were manipulated, causing major temperature changes.

Its owner said the freezer reached 50 to 70 degrees, leaving meat like it had been cooked and price labels melted.

The shop disconnected the systems and closed temporarily to rule out food safety risks while it checks its equipment and processes.

Three Volg stores also found that some cooling settings had been changed, but the retailer said the situation was under control and measures had been taken.

Bern police have begun investigating, though no formal complaint had yet been filed.

This is the first publicly known attack of this kind in Switzerland, while similar incidents have been reported in several European countries; the people responsible are not known.