by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – A sweeping wave of cyberattacks has struck supermarkets across Europe, with hackers remotely raising refrigerator and freezer temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, destroying food supplies and exposing serious vulnerabilities in the continent’s critical infrastructure.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the attacks have affected supermarkets in at least a dozen European countries, including Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Ireland, Finland, and the Netherlands. Major retailers, including Carrefour, IKEA, and Ahold Delhaize, reported disruptions as refrigerated food spoiled and stores were forced to discard large quantities of dairy products, meat, seafood, and frozen goods.
The latest attacks follow a similar cyberattack in October that compromised refrigeration systems at approximately 700 French supermarkets, causing extensive food losses and, in some cases, fires.
Reuters reported that hackers gained remote access to internet-connected refrigeration controllers, manipulating temperature settings to as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). Investigators believe outdated software and inadequately secured systems contributed to the breaches.
Cybersecurity researchers identified hundreds of potentially vulnerable refrigeration controllers still accessible online, raising concerns that additional attacks could follow.
European Union Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen condemned the incidents as a deliberate attempt to disrupt Europe’s food supply chain and undermine public confidence.
The attackers’ identities remain unknown, and authorities have not established whether the incidents are connected to state-sponsored cyberwarfare.
The attacks underscore a growing national security concern: increasingly interconnected infrastructure, from food distribution and water systems to electricity networks, can be disrupted without conventional weapons, potentially threatening economic stability and essential services.
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