EU urges action as Germany, Romania and UK report supermarket cyberattacks

What the report says

The European Union said it is working with national authorities after a wave of cyberattacks disrupted supermarket refrigeration systems in multiple countries, with Germany, Romania and the United Kingdom adding to reports first seen in several other parts of Europe. According to Al Jazeera’s reporting, hackers raised temperatures in cooling equipment at stores, leading to food losses and operational disruption. Officials said the incidents were spread across at least 11 countries, including several EU members and the UK.

The EU said the attacks were “not isolated” and signaled that a coordinated response is being developed. A spokesperson said bloc agencies were discussing the matter with national authorities, while declining to name any possible culprit. No group has claimed responsibility, and the motive remains unclear.

Romania’s cybersecurity chief said the incidents appeared “semi-amateurish” and said there was no indication of a state actor. In Belgium, prosecutors opened an investigation after multiple grocery chains reported failures. Italy also reported damage at supermarkets, while UK officials said the impact there was limited and that some attempts targeted smaller food-sector firms.

The reporting also links the campaign to earlier disruption in France and other European markets. Security experts cited by Al Jazeera urged retailers to check whether refrigeration systems are exposed to the internet and to apply updates or disconnect vulnerable devices where necessary, underscoring broader concerns about food supply-chain cybersecurity.