European grocery freezers hit by second cyberattack in one month

Food in European grocery stores spoiled and financial losses mounted on Monday after hackers hijacked freezers for the second time in less than a month. This incident follows a similar attack in October that affected hundreds of French locations, where temperatures in some units reached 122 degrees Fahrenheit and destroyed large quantities of inventory.

France's health service confirmed on Wednesday that the country's national emergency blood supply network was also compromised this week. Alert and backup systems prevented cold storage facilities from shutting down, and no blood supplies were lost. The simultaneous targeting of food and medical infrastructure has intensified scrutiny of critical infrastructure security.

Cybersecurity experts warn that the vulnerabilities exploited in these commercial systems may exist in everyday household appliances. Connected devices such as smart fridges, televisions, security cameras, and door locks act as small computers with potential weaknesses. Dr. Manny Niri, a cybersecurity lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, stated that homes may be more vulnerable than people realize because these devices often rely on default or reused passwords and outdated software.

Professor George Loukas, head of the Centre for Sustainable Cyber Security at the University of Greenwich, noted that a single flaw in a mass-produced device could expose millions of households simultaneously. He explained that if an application can turn off heating or unlock a door, a hacker with access to the device can perform the same actions. This unauthorized control allows attackers to use the system as designed but with malicious intent.

The consequences of a breach can extend beyond physical controls to privacy and data security. Niri pointed out that unauthorized access to cameras or microphones can reveal when residents are home and what they are doing. A compromised device can also provide attackers with access to other devices on the same network, potentially exposing personal or financial information. In 2025, U.S. cybersecurity officials identified a critical vulnerability in certain WiFi thermostats that allowed full administrative control, while the Federal Trade Commission documented cases where Ring security cameras were used to spy on homeowners.

Dr. Abdullahi Arabo, associate professor at the University of the West of England, warned that one hacked device could expose other systems within a household. Experts indicate that the greater danger lies in exploiting vulnerabilities across millions of identical devices rather than targeting individual homes. In 2016, the Mirai botnet infected hundreds of thousands of internet-connected devices, including routers and cameras, to launch large-scale cyberattacks.

Loukas said artificial intelligence could make such attacks easier to execute. An attack that once required a skilled team working for weeks can now be run by one person, lowering the barrier for causing disruption at scale. However, experts emphasize that ordinary households are unlikely to be deliberately targeted. Niri recommended awareness over fear, advising consumers to change default passwords, enable two-factor authentication, update software, and retain manual control over essential systems.