Cyberattacks hit supermarket refrigeration systems in at least nine countries — BBC News
A series of cyberattacks disrupted supermarket refrigeration equipment in at least nine European countries. Problems were recorded in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. As temperatures rose in refrigerators and freezers, retailers were forced to discard food products, BBC News reports.
Temperature reached 50 degrees
In some stores, temperatures in refrigeration equipment reportedly rose to 50°C. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks. The European Commission said the incidents demonstrate the ability of cyberattacks to disrupt essential services and affect citizens' everyday lives.
European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen said the EU takes these cases seriously and warned of possible further disruptions. European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier declined to assign responsibility to anyone, but stressed that such incidents are not isolated.
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Investigation and consequences
In Belgium, where dozens of stores reported refrigeration equipment malfunctions, the federal prosecutor's office launched an investigation. In Italy, Giorgia Meloni's government held a meeting with intelligence chiefs. The country's National Cybersecurity Agency reported that at least four Co-op supermarkets in Sicily and one business in Tuscany had been affected.
Ireland's Musgrave Group reported a cyber incident at 13 SuperValu stores and began replenishing stocks of chilled and frozen goods. In Portugal, the Mosqueteiros group linked incidents at seven Intermarché stores to a cyberattack that, according to a preliminary assessment, may have targeted an external service provider managing refrigeration systems. In Sweden, the ICA chain reported problems at a limited number of stores, without confirming a cyberattack.
Three weeks ago, a separate cyberattack disrupted operations at up to 700 French grocery stores; food losses were then estimated at tens of millions of euros. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre urged retailers to update the software of refrigerator temperature-control systems.
