Cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems have disrupted retailers across Europe, with hackers remotely raising temperatures and forcing stores to discard perishable food. The latest wave, reported on November 1-2, affected stores in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland and Estonia, among others. At an ICA supermarket in Stockholm, staff said freezer temperatures reached 50 degrees Celsius. The attacks followed an October breach affecting hundreds of French supermarkets, where spoiled stock and fires were reported. EU cybersecurity agency ENISA has urged businesses to secure exposed equipment and cooperate with national authorities. In Poland, CERT Polska identified 140 refrigeration units accessible from the internet, prompting about 70 companies to disconnect devices after warnings. A TVP World report said a confirmed Polish attack caused no material losses after the operator moved its products to another refrigerator. Authorities warn that poorly protected industrial controls can threaten food storage and other temperature-sensitive services, including blood storage facilities.
