Cyberattack Targets Supermarket Refrigeration Systems Across Europe, Destroying Food Supplies

An unprecedented cyberattack has targeted the cooling and freezing systems used to store frozen food products in supermarkets across Europe. The technology-driven cybercrime affected hundreds of stores belonging to leading supermarket chains in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, and Estonia. As a result, refrigerator temperatures rose abnormally, causing large quantities of food products to spoil.

How the Cyberattack Was Carried Out

According to investigators, hackers gained access to the central controls of internet-connected remote refrigeration systems. They then remotely switched the evaporators in refrigerators and freezers into automatic defrost mode and raised the internal temperatures to as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).

The resulting excessive heat created conditions resembling fire hazards in several stores, while stored meat, dairy products, and processed foods quickly spoiled. Several outlets of Belgium's Delhaize and Spar, as well as Sweden's ICA and Coop supermarket chains, were among those affected by this unprecedented attack.

New Security Risks for Internet-Connected Smart Devices

Last month, a similar cyberattack in France also disabled the cooling systems of hundreds of supermarkets. According to technology experts, the use of ‘operational technology’ (OT), which allows mechanical equipment responsible for temperature control to be operated remotely over the internet, has made these systems easy targets for cybercriminals.

Sweden's National Cybersecurity Centre and law enforcement agencies in the affected countries have launched thorough investigations into the incident.

However, no conclusive information has yet emerged about whether any specific hacking group or state was involved in the international cyberattack.

//DBTech/BMT/OR//