UK reports supermarket refrigeration cyber incidents

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) says it is aware of “a couple of instances” in which vulnerable technology was exploited in the UK, after cyberattacks targeted supermarket refrigeration systems and food suppliers across Europe.

NCSC chief executive Dr Richard Horne told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the centre had “worked through the night” to alert potentially affected organisations. He said it had notified “handfuls” of bodies and was aware of a “couple of impacts”.

Supermarkets in Ireland, Sweden, Estonia and Belgium reported on Monday that some fridges had been set to higher temperatures. The reports followed attacks on supermarkets and food suppliers in France in early October. Hundreds of French stores were targeted in an overnight hack, spoiling fresh and frozen food estimated to be worth millions of euros.

The French attacks exploited vulnerabilities in systems used to remotely control refrigeration units and manage their temperatures and settings. Cybersecurity researchers had publicised the vulnerabilities months earlier.

Horne said it was “too early to say” who was behind the attacks. He urged organisations to secure and update the technology they rely on, noting that some firms continue to use systems past their end of life or leave them unupgraded or connected to the internet. He also warned that adversaries could exploit vulnerabilities more quickly with AI.