Supermarket refrigerators may seem like unlikely targets for hackers. But as retailers increasingly rely on internet-connected systems to monitor temperatures, manage cooling and detect faults, even refrigeration equipment has become vulnerable to cyberattacks. A recent attack affecting several supermarket chains in Belgium has brought those risks into focus. Around 40 Delhaize supermarkets, at least 15 Carrefour stores and five Spar outlets were hit by a cyberattack targeting their refrigeration systems, forcing stores to discard food worth around €100,000. The butchery group De Laet en Van Haver was also affected, while similar problems were reported at several outlets of Swedish supermarket chain ICA. Belgian media reported that refrigerator temperatures had risen as high as 70°C during the incident. A Delhaize spokesperson confirmed to Euronews that the company had identified an IT incident affecting refrigeration systems in several dozen stores. Live Events The attack came after a similar incident on October 12, when cooling systems at hundreds of French supermarkets were reportedly tampered with. The incidents have raised a question that many shoppers may never have considered: why do supermarket refrigerators need an internet connection in the first place? Why are fridges connected to the internet? Unlike household refrigerators, supermarket refrigeration systems often operate through central control units that manage dozens of chillers and freezers at once, Euronews reported. These systems regulate temperatures, schedule defrost cycles and alert operators when something goes wrong. Connecting them to the internet allows technicians to monitor equipment and fix certain problems remotely, rather than visiting every store. According to research published in October by cybersecurity firm Forescout, remote access has become a common feature of commercial refrigeration because it helps businesses manage equipment spread across multiple locations. There are financial benefits, too. Danfoss, one of Europe's major refrigeration equipment suppliers, says internet-connected controls can reduce unnecessary engineer visits by 15-30%, as some faults can be diagnosed and resolved remotely, Euronews reported. The technology also makes it easier for supermarkets to comply with food safety requirements. Temperature records can be maintained automatically, removing the need for employees to manually check individual cabinets several times a day. But the convenience comes with a downside. Some manufacturers allow refrigeration controllers to be accessed from outside the store by configuring internet routers to forward traffic directly to the equipment. That means poorly secured systems can potentially be reached by anyone with an internet connection, including hackers. Another problem is that responsibility for security is often split between different parties. The supermarket may own the equipment, an outside contractor may manage the refrigeration software, and the company's IT team may oversee the network. Forescout researchers warned that when these responsibilities are not clearly defined, security gaps can go unnoticed. Older equipment presents another challenge. Some refrigeration controllers are no longer supported by their manufacturers and cannot receive security updates. Euronews cited a Danfoss controller that stopped receiving support in May 2021, leaving operators with limited options for addressing newly discovered vulnerabilities. How widespread is the risk? The potential problem extends far beyond the stores affected in Belgium and France. Using Shodan, a search engine that identifies internet-connected devices, Forescout researchers found 12,976 exposed refrigeration management services across 6,017 internet addresses in 99 countries and territories, according to Euronews. Most belonged to two major product families. Copeland and Dixell's XWEB systems accounted for 7,075 exposed services, while Danfoss's StoreView accounted for another 4,697. The researchers also found that 80% of the exposed Danfoss services were running firmware older than the version that addressed known security vulnerabilities. However, being accessible over the internet does not necessarily mean a system has been compromised. The findings highlight potential exposure rather than confirmed attacks on all the identified devices. The concern is also not confined to supermarkets. Similar refrigeration management systems are used in food processing facilities, wineries, farms, fruit storage centres and hospitals, where maintaining the right temperature can be critical. What can hackers actually do? One of the biggest risks is that attackers may not need sophisticated malware to cause disruption. If they gain access to a refrigeration controller, they may be able to use its normal functions to change temperature settings, activate defrost cycles or disable alarms. In other words, hackers could interfere with cooling equipment using the very controls that technicians rely on for routine maintenance. That makes such attacks particularly difficult to identify. A sudden temperature change or an altered defrost schedule may initially appear to be a technical malfunction rather than deliberate interference. For supermarkets, the consequences can be costly. Refrigerated products that are stored outside safe temperature limits may need to be discarded, resulting in financial losses and disruption to daily operations. The risks could be greater at facilities that store temperature-sensitive products, including certain medicines and medical supplies. What can supermarkets do to protect their systems? Forescout's primary recommendation is straightforward: refrigeration management systems should not be directly accessible from the open internet, according to Euronews. Instead, contractors should be given access through secure remote connections that limit who can reach the equipment. The firm has also recommended replacing controllers that no longer receive security updates and ending the use of shared passwords among maintenance contractors. Individual user accounts, multi-factor authentication and records of changes made to refrigeration settings could help operators detect and prevent unauthorised access. Clear responsibility for maintaining and securing the systems is equally important, particularly when equipment manufacturers, outside contractors and supermarket IT teams are all involved. Internet-connected refrigeration has made supermarket operations more efficient, helping retailers cut maintenance costs, monitor food safety and respond faster when equipment fails. But the attacks in Belgium and France show how that same connectivity can become a weakness when security is overlooked. For retailers, the challenge is no longer simply keeping food cold. It is also making sure that the systems controlling those temperatures cannot be manipulated from outside. Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
Why are supermarket fridges connected to internet?
Supermarket refrigerators may seem like unlikely targets for hackers. But as retailers increasingly rely on internet-connected systems to monitor temperatures, manage cooling and detect faults, even refrigeration equipment has become vulnerable to cyberattacks. A recent attack affecting several supermarket chains in Belgium has brought those risks into focus. Around 40 Delhaize supermarkets, at least 15 Carrefour stores and five Spar outlets were hit by a cyberattack targeting their refrigeration systems, forcing stores to discard food worth around €100,000. The butchery group De Laet en Van Haver was also affected, while similar problems were reported at several outlets of Swedish supermarket chain ICA. Belgian media reported that refrigerator temperatures had risen as high as 70°C during the incident. A Delhaize spokesperson confirmed to Euronews that the company had identified an IT incident affecting refrigeration systems in several dozen stores. Live Events The attack came after a similar incident on October 12, when cooling systems at hundreds of French supermarkets were reportedly tampered with. The incidents have raised a question that many shoppers may never have considered: why do supermarket refrigerators need an internet connection in the first place? Why are fridges connected to the internet? Unlike household refrigerators, supermarket refrigeration systems often operate through central control units that manage dozens of chillers and freezers at once, Euronews reported. These systems regulate temperatures, schedule defrost cycles and alert operators when something goes wrong. Connecting them to the internet allows technicians to monitor equipment and fix certain problems remotely, rather than visiting every store. According to research published in October by cybersecurity firm Forescout, remote access has become a common feature of commercial refrigeration because it helps businesses manage equipment spread across multiple locations. There are financial benefits, too. Danfoss, one of Europe's major refrigeration equipment suppliers, says internet-connected controls can reduce unnecessary engineer visits by 15-30%, as some faults can be diagnosed and resolved remotely, Euronews reported. The technology also makes it easier for supermarkets to comply with food safety requirements. Temperature records can be maintained automatically, removing the need for employees to manually check individual cabinets several times a day. But the convenience comes with a downside. Some manufacturers allow refrigeration controllers to be accessed from outside the store by configuring internet routers to forward traffic directly to the equipment. That means poorly secured systems can potentially be reached by anyone with an internet connection, including hackers. Another problem is that responsibility for security is often split between different parties. The supermarket may own the equipment, an outside contractor may manage the refrigeration software, and the company's IT team may oversee the network. Forescout researchers warned that when these responsibilities are not clearly defined, security gaps can go unnoticed. Older equipment presents another challenge. Some refrigeration controllers are no longer supported by their manufacturers and cannot receive security updates. Euronews cited a Danfoss controller that stopped receiving support in May 2021, leaving operators with limited options for addressing newly discovered vulnerabilities. How widespread is the risk? The potential problem extends far beyond the stores affected in Belgium and France. Using Shodan, a search engine that identifies internet-connected devices, Forescout researchers found 12,976 exposed refrigeration management services across 6,017 internet addresses in 99 countries and territories, according to Euronews. Most belonged to two major product families. Copeland and Dixell's XWEB systems accounted for 7,075 exposed services, while Danfoss's StoreView accounted for another 4,697. The researchers also found that 80% of the exposed Danfoss services were running firmware older than the version that addressed known security vulnerabilities. However, being accessible over the internet does not necessarily mean a system has been compromised. The findings highlight potential exposure rather than confirmed attacks on all the identified devices. The concern is also not confined to supermarkets. Similar refrigeration management systems are used in food processing facilities, wineries, farms, fruit storage centres and hospitals, where maintaining the right temperature can be critical. What can hackers actually do? One of the biggest risks is that attackers may not need sophisticated malware to cause disruption. If they gain access to a refrigeration controller, they may be able to use its normal functions to change temperature settings, activate defrost cycles or disable alarms. In other words, hackers could interfere with cooling equipment using the very controls that technicians rely on for routine maintenance. That makes such attacks particularly difficult to identify. A sudden temperature change or an altered defrost schedule may initially appear to be a technical malfunction rather than deliberate interference. For supermarkets, the consequences can be costly. Refrigerated products that are stored outside safe temperature limits may need to be discarded, resulting in financial losses and disruption to daily operations. The risks could be greater at facilities that store temperature-sensitive products, including certain medicines and medical supplies. What can supermarkets do to protect their systems? Forescout's primary recommendation is straightforward: refrigeration management systems should not be directly accessible from the open internet, according to Euronews. Instead, contractors should be given access through secure remote connections that limit who can reach the equipment. The firm has also recommended replacing controllers that no longer receive security updates and ending the use of shared passwords among maintenance contractors. Individual user accounts, multi-factor authentication and records of changes made to refrigeration settings could help operators detect and prevent unauthorised access. Clear responsibility for maintaining and securing the systems is equally important, particularly when equipment manufacturers, outside contractors and supermarket IT teams are all involved. Internet-connected refrigeration has made supermarket operations more efficient, helping retailers cut maintenance costs, monitor food safety and respond faster when equipment fails. But the attacks in Belgium and France show how that same connectivity can become a weakness when security is overlooked. For retailers, the challenge is no longer simply keeping food cold. It is also making sure that the systems controlling those temperatures cannot be manipulated from outside. Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
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