Hackers target supermarket refrigerators across Europe causing millions in damage

A cyberattack targeting supermarket refrigeration systems affected 700 stores across Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany, and Belgium, according to Ars Technica. The incident caused financial damages estimated in the tens or hundreds of millions of euros and triggered fires inside some affected facilities. [1]

Ars Technica reported that attackers exploited outdated firmware on industrial controllers exposed directly to the public internet. The affected supermarket locations failed to implement standard security measures, such as placing the controllers behind a virtual private network or setting up an IP address allowlist to restrict logins. [1]

Security researchers at Pen Test Partners stated that simple cyber hygiene would have prevented the access completely. Taking the refrigeration controllers off the public internet and requiring a VPN for remote access would have stopped the breach, according to Ars Technica. [1]