Britain's cyber chief confirms hackers have exploited UK food suppliers' freezers after a wave of attacks on European supermarkets
Empty refrigerated counters inside an Auchan supermarket in Olsztyn, Poland, as Sweden's national cyber-security centre confirmed it was working multiple cases simultaneously following the overnight attacks.Seven European countries were struck overnight by hackers who remotely cranked supermarket freezer temperatures to 50C, following an almost identical attack on up to 700 French supermarkets last month that triggered fires and food losses running into tens of millions of euros.
The NCSC's chief executive, Dr Richard Horne, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a "handful of organisations" in Britain had been alerted and that he was "aware of a couple of impacts" — with meat processing firms the first UK businesses publicly confirmed as casualties. The NCSC worked through the night to contact vulnerable companies and is urging all British retailers to patch refrigeration control software without delay. Cyber researchers have identified more than 800 cooling systems belonging to British retailers that are accessible via the public internet.
Tony Goodger of the British Association of Independent Meat Suppliers said affected members lost no meat but called it a 'wake-up call' for the whole food chain.
The same Danfoss refrigeration technology exploited in last month's French attacks — which spoiled millions of euros of food — also supplies Tesco and Sainsbury's.
Dr Horne backed Government advice that Brits should stockpile essentials, telling the BBC 'it's your life, choose wisely.'
