British food businesses hit by cyberattack

Businesses across Britain’s food supply chain have been affected by a cyberattack that disrupted supermarket refrigeration systems in several European countries, the BBC reported.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said it was aware of “a couple of instances” in which vulnerable technology had been exploited in Britain.

NCSC Chief Executive Richard Horne told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the agency had worked swiftly to alert potentially affected organisations.

The British Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) said some of its more than 300 members had been affected by the cyberattacks.

Two members reported that their refrigerators had started defrosting unexpectedly, while another discovered that the temperature of its refrigeration units had risen to as high as 100 degrees Celsius.

AIMS spokesman Tony Goodger said the affected units were empty at the time, meaning no food products were lost. However, he urged businesses across the food industry to remain vigilant.

He warned that the incident should serve as a reminder that companies at any stage of the supply chain could become targets of cyberattacks.

On Monday, supermarkets in several European countries, including Ireland, Sweden, Estonia and Belgium, reported disruptions to their refrigeration systems, with some fridges and freezers experiencing sharp temperature increases.