Supermarkets across Europe reported new cyberattacks targeting refrigeration systems on Monday, with authorities drawing connections to incidents in France last month that also struck cooling equipment. Belgian media reported that temperatures in supermarket refrigerators had suddenly spiked, forcing stores to dispose of food. The Belgian Centre for Cybersecurity said it is closely following the incident, adding that the attackers are unknown and that it may never be possible to identify them. Swedish National Cyber Security Centre director John Billow told POLITICO there are similarities to the French incidents and that the agency is in touch with affected organizations. A European Commission spokesperson said it is aware of the incidents and is using the EU-Cyclone network to coordinate and share information. The attacks echo incidents in mid-October when French supermarkets were targeted in cyber strikes against refrigeration systems manufactured by Danfoss, a Danish company. Danfoss did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Following the French attacks, cybersecurity researcher Ken Munro said supermarkets should have disconnected their refrigerators and the devices used to monitor and remotely manage them from the Internet, stating he does not accept any other excuse particularly in light of the earlier attacks. Researcher Inti De Ceukelaire said the incident suggests many supermarkets simply did not get patched after France, calling it quite ridiculous. The European Commission's coordination via EU-Cyclone and the involvement of multiple national cybersecurity agencies highlight the cross-border nature of the threat to retail infrastructure.
