Refrigerators and freezers in supermarkets across seven European countries were disabled after remote temperature controls were raised to as high as 50 °C (122 °F). The European Union condemned the incident as a “deliberate attempt to disrupt our food supply chain and undermine consumer confidence.” The attack targeted refrigeration units in branches of Carrefour, Intermarché and Ikea in Belgium; Coop and ICA in Sweden; Delhaize in Luxembourg; Kesko in Finland; SuperValu in Ireland; and several stores in Estonia, according to a report by The Guardian. The incident follows a similar event three weeks earlier in France, when retailers had to discard large quantities of food after their refrigerators suddenly heated up. The cause was traced to hackers gaining control of the Internet‑of‑Things (IoT) management software that runs the refrigeration systems. A comparable incident was reported in the United States in early August, when stores linked to at least six military bases experienced a series of unexplained refrigerator failures. The Pentagon is investigating a possible cyber intrusion. Experts warn that the attack could signal a new front in cyber‑warfare. “The refrigerators are not the only devices whose control systems are exposed to hackers,” said a security analyst. “Many ovens, washing machines, dishwashers and central heating systems are also connected to the internet to allow remote access and automation.” No hacking group has claimed responsibility, and no ransomware was used. Rafe Poling, chief intelligence officer at Sofos Cybersecurity, said the most likely scenarios are either a state‑backed operation sending a warning or a lone hacker acting for personal reasons. “The psychological impact of empty shelves on a large population makes a state‑sponsored attack more plausible,” Poling added. He noted that while North Korea was recently linked to a cryptocurrency theft from Binance, Russian and Chinese hacking groups are also suspected in the current case. Western intelligence officials have said that Moscow is conducting sabotage operations across Europe, and the attacks could intensify in the coming months. Poling compared the intrusion to “wearing rubber gloves and fiddling with switches,” highlighting how simple the attack was. The perpetrators did not need to deploy malware; the lack of a traceable hacking tool suggests the attackers exploited a vulnerability in the IoT software itself. The vulnerability stems from the fact that the software controlling supermarket refrigeration units is often left unpatched. Unlike desktop computers and smartphones, which routinely receive security updates, refrigeration systems can remain offline for extended periods to avoid disrupting operations. Nik Jackson, cyber‑operations manager at Bet Defender, said that the downtime required to apply updates is a major barrier for food‑retailers. He also pointed out that some stores, such as Sweden’s Coop, had refrigerators connected to 4G mobile networks, increasing their exposure. ICA, a Swedish retailer, said its refrigeration system is supplied by Danish company Danfoss, which had previously faced issues in France. The company has since updated its units following the October 12 incident in France. In the United Kingdom, supermarkets have not yet suffered similar attacks. Graham Wain, assistant director of regulatory affairs at the British Retail Consortium, said retailers are working with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to secure their refrigeration and freezer units. According to Forscaut, a UK‑based cybersecurity firm, internet‑connected cooling systems are more common in France, Italy, Greece and Belgium than in the UK. Daniel Dos Santos, Forscaut’s deputy research director, noted that the UK was not among the top ten countries with exposed systems, but the risk is not negligible. The NCSC is collaborating with international partners and industry stakeholders to fully understand the incident and prevent future attacks.