BRUSSELS, November 2. /TASS/. The European Commission has described today's cyberattack on refrigeration systems in grocery stores across the European Union as an attempt to undermine food security in the bloc, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen told reporters.
Hansen noted that food security is not under threat, but European businesses suffered real damage. He added that all parts of Europe’s food supply chains must be able to withstand the threat of cyberattacks.
Overnight into November 2, refrigerators in dozens of supermarkets operated by the Delhaize, Carrefour and Spar chains in Belgium, Luxembourg and several other EU countries began defrosting on their own, with temperatures rising by several dozen degrees. According to the Belga news agency, the incident resulted in damage to food stocks and equipment worth tens of millions of euros.
The incident was caused by a cyberattack that exploited the same software vulnerabilities in refrigeration equipment as a similar incident in France in October, which affected more than 300 stores.