Experts: Cyberattacks on Euopean groceries expose vulnerability of IoT devices
Cyberattacks on grocery freezes in European supermarkets have wide security implications in an age of connected devices and AI.
Following last month's cyberattacks targeting French supermarkets, a new wave of attacks disrupted refrigeration systems across Europe, forcing retailers to discard spoiled food and raising fresh concerns about the security of internet-connected technology.
Below are insights from experts at Filigran, a France-headquartered cybersecurity company, on what these attacks reveal about operational technology security and the implications for critical infrastructure.
Samuel Hassine CEO and co-founder:
"A fridge is now a computer, and these attacks prove it. The method that hit French supermarkets last month has now reached shops in seven other European countries. Freezers warmed overnight and food had to be thrown away. Many of these controllers sit openly on the internet, and some need physical changes, not just a software update."
"The response has been quick. Technicians worked through the night to disconnect units, and national agencies are working together."
"Every business runs equipment it does not think of as IT: cooling, heating, door access and building controls. Find what is connected, take it off the open internet, and fix it with the manufacturer. Attackers look for what you forgot you own."
Neena Sharma, head of product and customer marketing:
“This is the second attack of this nature a few days apart and it exposes the vulnerability of IoT devices and operational technologies to AI-enabled hacks."
"The issue is not how much AI is used in these attacks but the fact that AI has unintentionally provided the scale and laid bare the vulnerabilities and attack paths that previously required a lot of effort and resources. And this attack on the food supply chain heightens the cyber risks beyond digital or online damage."
Damian Skeeles, senior solution engineer:
"The attacker and motive is yet to be determined, but these are further warning signs of a new paradigm of attacks in the age of AI. The world runs on connected systems — freezers, elevators, combine harvesters, water pumps, trains, cars, etc. While many were relatively easy to hack in the past, the sheer range of such systems, and the low return in hacking each type, kept us safe."
"Now, in the age of AI, the cost of attacking a wide range of systems by relatively few skilled hackers is dropping to the level where such attacks may become commonplace."