Cyber-attacks hit supermarket freezers across at least nine European countries
A coordinated series of cyber-attacks disabled supermarket refrigeration systems across at least nine European countries, with temperatures reportedly rising as high as 50C and forcing retailers to discard large quantities of food. Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden reported problems, while Germany's police investigated cases in Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen called it a deliberate attempt to disrupt the food supply chain. No group claimed responsibility. The method resembled an October attack on hundreds of French grocery stores.
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Cyber-attacks on supermarket freezers hit nine European countries
A series of cyber-attacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems across at least nine European countries prompted EU officials to warn of a deliberate attempt to disrupt the food supply chain. Supermarkets in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden reported problems, with freezer temperatures reportedly rising as high as 50C, forcing retailers to discard food. No group has claimed responsibility. The attacks come three weeks after a cyber-attack disrupted up to 700 French grocery stores, causing food losses estimated at tens of millions of euros. EU food and agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen said the bloc was taking the incidents very seriously and warned of further disruption. Italy's government said impact was limited and affected businesses mostly had obsolete security systems. Belgian federal prosecutors opened an investigation, and the UK's National Cyber Security Centre warned retailers to update fridge temperature control software.
Read sourceHackers Heat Supermarket Fridges to 50C as Attacks Spread Across Germany
Cybercriminals have hacked refrigeration systems at supermarkets in Germany, raising temperatures to as high as 50 degrees Celsius and forcing operators to discard large quantities of food. Cases were reported in Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Lower Saxony. In Lilienthal near Bremen, owner Daniel Breiding said goods worth over 360,000 euros had to be thrown away after display counters, cold storage rooms, and freezers failed and heated to 30 degrees. A supermarket in Reisbach, Lower Bavaria, reported temperatures reaching 50 degrees, with the operator criticizing the food waste on Facebook. Similar attacks have been reported across Europe, including Sweden, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Luxembourg, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Portugal, following an earlier incident affecting hundreds of French supermarkets. German Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger called for greater cybersecurity precautions by companies and administrations. No information on perpetrators or motives has been released.
Read sourceHackers Heat Supermarket Cooling Systems to 50C, Forcing Food Waste in Germany
Cybercriminals have attacked refrigeration systems at supermarkets in Germany, raising temperatures to as high as 50 degrees Celsius and forcing operators to discard large quantities of food. Police are investigating cases in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, and Bavaria. In Lilienthal near Bremen, a supermarket owner reported discarding goods worth over 360,000 euros after cooling systems heated to 30 degrees. A supermarket in Reisbach, Lower Bavaria, saw temperatures reach 50 degrees, with the operator criticizing the food waste. Similar attacks have been reported across Europe, including Sweden, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Luxembourg, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Belgian chains Delhaize, Carrefour, Colruyt, Intermarché, and Spar were affected, with attackers reportedly switching systems into defrost mode. The attacks follow a similar incident in France three weeks ago affecting hundreds of Intermarché and Coopérative U stores. German Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger called for greater cybersecurity precautions, noting the growing importance of the issue. No information on perpetrators or motives has been released.
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Hackers Heat German Supermarket Fridges to 50C as Cyberattacks Spread Across Europe
Hackers attacked the refrigeration systems of a supermarket in Reisbach, Lower Bavaria, driving temperatures up to 50 degrees Celsius, the operator wrote on Facebook. The store said large quantities of food had to be thrown away despite food-sharing groups salvaging what they could, and shelves were to be restocked with fresh goods on Tuesday. The incident follows a series of similar attacks across Europe: Sweden, Belgium, Estonia, Finland and Luxembourg reported cases, and on Monday Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands and Portugal also disclosed attacks in which cooling functions were disabled and temperatures rose. In Belgium, roughly 20 cooling units were affected after attackers switched systems into defrost mode, with Delhaize, Carrefour, Colruyt, Intermarché and Spar among those hit; Carrefour confirmed about 15 Belgian stores were targeted. The pattern mirrors an attack three weeks earlier on hundreds of Intermarché and Coopérative U stores in France. No perpetrators or motives have been identified. EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen called it a deliberate attempt to disrupt the food chain and undermine consumer trust, saying the attacks are taken very seriously while European food safety is not currently at risk.
Read sourceCyber-attack hits supermarket freezers across seven European countries
A cyber-attack has affected refrigerators and freezers at dozens of supermarkets across seven European countries, including around 40 Delhaize stores in Belgium and Luxembourg and smaller numbers in Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia and Finland. Sabcobel, a Belgian manufacturer of some affected units, said evaporators were switched to defrost mode, causing temperatures to rise reportedly as high as 50C. The method is believed to match an October incident that hit hundreds of French supermarkets, where millions of euros of food were discarded. Sabcobel CEO Stephan Moelans said the company had worked to disconnect affected units and that physical modifications, not just software updates, were needed to address the vulnerability. Losses include an estimated €100,000 at one Delhaize branch in Flanders. National cyber-security agencies in Belgium and Sweden are monitoring; the UK reported no incidents. It is unclear who is behind the attack.