Italy Holds Security Talks Following Cyberattacks on European Cooling Systems

The Italian government held an emergency meeting with intelligence chiefs on Tuesday following cyberattacks targeting cooling systems in supermarkets across at least 11 European countries in recent days. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which prompted the European Union to warn of a deliberate attempt to disrupt the continent's food supply chains. EU spokesperson Thomas Renier stated that the bloc's agencies are also meeting with national authorities to discuss the best collective response to these attacks. He confirmed that national investigations are ongoing and that close contact with relevant authorities is maintained. He emphasized that these are not isolated incidents and highlighted the need for a collective capacity to withstand and prepare for such cyber incidents. Stores in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, and Sweden experienced cooling system failures, forcing many to discard food due to rising refrigerator temperatures. This follows a similar cyberattack three weeks earlier in France that led to the destruction of food stocks. In Italy, government ministers met with intelligence heads and the national cybersecurity agency, which issued technical advice to retail stores to protect their systems. The government stated that initial investigations show the impact in Italy is currently very limited, affecting only a small number of commercial units. Reports indicated that affected stores had outdated security systems, exposed APIs directly on the internet, and weak authentication mechanisms. Approximately 20 stores across Italy were affected. Belgium was among the hardest hit, with dozens of stores from major chains reporting cooling system failures, prompting federal prosecutors there to open an investigation into the incident.