Supermarket freezers across Europe face rising cyber attacks, experts warn AI could worsen threat
Cyber incidents targeting supermarket refrigeration units have hit stores in several European countries, and specialists say outdated equipment and increasing AI tools may amplify future attacks.
A wave of cyber attacks on supermarket refrigerators and freezers has affected retailers in Belgium, Luxembourg, Estonia, the Netherlands, Ireland and Sweden, following a large-scale breach that raised temperatures to 50 °C in up to 700 French stores earlier this year. No group has claimed responsibility, but French authorities suspect involvement of international actors.
According to Marta Rybczynska, founder of the cybersecurity firm Ygreky, the attacks likely stem from state-supported actors rather than opportunistic hackers, and the devices are attractive targets because they are “easy targets” with publicly available instructions for exploitation. She added that many retailers have not treated refrigeration systems as potential cyber-risk assets.
Pavlina Pavlova, founder of Critical Cyber, highlighted that much of the hardware runs on legacy systems that no longer receive security patches, making them “reachable and undefended.” She warned that artificial intelligence could lower the barrier for sophisticated attacks, enabling rapid, automated exploitation of vulnerabilities faster than defenders can patch them.
Both experts stress the need for retailers to reassess the security of connected refrigeration equipment and implement stronger protective measures before further incidents occur.