Hackers have launched a wave of attacks on supermarkets across Europe, targeting internet-connected smart refrigerators and destroying millions of Euros worth of food.
What happened
The attacks, which occurred late on Sunday night, affected over 100 supermarkets and food suppliers in several European countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The hackers remotely instructed the refrigerators to engage their defrost mode, causing temperatures to rise and rendering huge quantities of food unfit for human consumption.
The affected supermarkets include major retail chains such as Carrefour, EDEKA, and IKEA. In response to the attacks, some stores quickly deployed refrigerated trucks to transfer frozen goods, while others hired dumpsters to clear shelves of spoiled food.
The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food has described the hacks as a deliberate bid to sabotage food supply in Europe and undermine public confidence. The European Union has announced an investigation into the attacks, which follow a similar incident just weeks earlier that affected over 700 supermarkets.
Experts have warned that the digital systems used to monitor and control smart fridges are often unprotected and vulnerable to attack. In response, manufacturers are working to disconnect smart fridges from the internet and secure internet connections.
