EU urges action as Germany, Romania and UK report supermarket cyberattacks

Hackers interfered with supermarket refrigeration systems and raised their temperatures. That mattered because refrigerated and frozen food can spoil when equipment stops maintaining safe conditions. The attacks also showed that ordinary store technology can become part of a wider cyber incident.

Monday reports came from nine EU countries: Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. On Tuesday, officials reported four affected supermarkets in Germany and six in Romania. The UK was also hit, while the EU described incidents across at least 11 countries.

The article gives a country count of at least 11, although it names nine EU countries from Monday, Germany, Romania and the UK. Belgium suffered dozens of store failures, and about 20 supermarkets were affected in Italy. Officials were investigating, but the motive and responsible group remained unknown.

A refrigeration controller is a computerised device that manages equipment such as supermarket refrigerators and freezers. When it is connected to the internet, someone outside the store may be able to communicate with it. A cyberattack occurs when an unauthorised person exploits that connection or a weakness in the system.

In these incidents, hackers raised refrigeration temperatures. The controller then allowed equipment to run at the wrong setting, even though the physical refrigerators themselves may not have been broken. Sweden’s Coop said affected refrigerators and freezers were connected to old 4G networks. Danfoss said its refrigeration controls were among the systems targeted.

The practical danger is direct: a digital command can change a physical environment where food is stored. Danfoss advised customers not to expose systems directly to the internet. A Deloitte expert urged retailers to disconnect unknown or vulnerable controllers from the public internet and install current security updates.

The incident was geographically broad but uneven in its effects. The EU said attacks in at least 11 countries were not isolated. Problems were reported in nine EU countries on Monday, followed by reports from Germany and Romania on Tuesday. The UK, outside the EU, was also affected.

The article identifies four supermarkets affected in Germany and six in Romania. Belgium reported refrigeration failures at dozens of stores across several grocery chains. Italy reported about 20 affected supermarkets, including four of 300 Coop stores in Sicily. Sweden’s Coop said seven stores had overnight refrigeration problems.

The food impact was serious but not fully quantified. The attacks spoiled tonnes of food across Europe. One Italian operator said everything at affected stores had to be thrown away and shelves were empty. The article does not give a total number of affected stores or the total financial loss.

Refrigeration protects food by keeping storage conditions stable. If hackers raise temperatures, chilled and frozen products may become unsafe or unusable. Supermarkets must then remove stock, close or disrupt sections, and replace products. The financial damage includes wasted goods and emergency operating costs.

In Sicily, Giuseppe Spadaro said four affected stores had to throw away everything, leaving shelves empty and causing thousands of euros in damage. Belgium reported failures across dozens of stores. Sweden’s Coop said seven stores had refrigeration problems overnight, although normal operations later resumed.

The consequences can extend beyond shop doors. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre said attackers tried to target small meat-processing firms and that the issue affected the whole food supply chain. The article does not quantify wider shortages, but repeated attacks could create more waste, interruptions and pressure on food businesses.

The response involves several layers of government and industry. EU agencies are speaking with national authorities about a joint response. Belgium’s federal prosecutors opened an investigation, while Italy consulted intelligence services and its National Cybersecurity Agency. Cybersecurity officials and refrigeration companies are also advising retailers.

No group has claimed responsibility, and the motive remains unknown. EU spokesperson Thomas Regnier said officials would not point to a potential culprit. Romania’s cybersecurity director Dan Cimpean described the activity as “semi-amateurish” and said officials did not suspect a state actor. He also said no other infrastructure had been compromised.

Those statements explain why attribution remains cautious. Investigators need evidence linking the digital activity to a person, group or government. Italy’s government called the impact limited but kept institutions on high alert. Officials are focusing on resilience and cooperation rather than publicly assigning blame without proof.

Connected refrigeration equipment can become vulnerable when its communications technology is old or poorly protected. Older networks and modems may lack current security improvements. A controller directly reachable from the public internet can also give an attacker a route to send commands. The article identifies these exposures but does not describe the precise exploit.

Sweden’s Coop said seven affected stores used refrigeration equipment connected to old 4G networks. The chain had begun moving systems to 5G networks and modern modems after October’s attacks. Danfoss, whose controls were targeted again, advised customers not to make those systems directly accessible online.

Retailers can reduce risk by checking every controller’s internet connection, installing the latest security updates and upgrading communications equipment. Deloitte’s Frank Groenewegen said unknown systems should be removed from the public internet immediately. He stressed that disconnection isolates the equipment but does not repair the underlying weakness.

Operational technology controls physical equipment rather than only storing information. In supermarkets, refrigeration controllers influence the conditions around food. If an attacker changes those settings, the equipment may continue operating while producing the wrong result. That makes a cyber incident physically damaging without requiring an attacker to enter a store.

The reported mechanism was temperature manipulation. Hackers raised refrigeration temperatures in supermarkets across Germany, Romania and the UK, while related failures occurred elsewhere. In Sicily, four stores discarded their stock, shelves became empty and the operator reported thousands of euros in damage. These losses followed the digital interference with control systems.

The impact can also move through the food supply chain. The UK reported attempted targeting of small meat-processing firms, and officials said the issue affected the whole chain. Retailers face spoiled inventory and disrupted operations. Governments and companies are therefore checking connected equipment, upgrading systems and isolating exposed controllers.