Cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems show how connected equipment can become a tool of disruption, Alberto Pagani and Roberto Pasi argue in an analysis published by our sister website Formiche.net. Pagani teaches geopolitics and geostrategy at the University of Bologna; Pasi is the founder and CEO of cybersecurity company Mon5.
Why it matters: The authors warn that everyday services offer attackers opportunities to inflict physical damage and undermine public confidence.
The key points:
- The damage is physical. Manipulating refrigeration controllers can break the cold chain, spoil food and interrupt business.
- Remote access creates exposure. Maintenance connections and suppliers can provide entry points, while older equipment may no longer receive security updates.
- The vulnerability extends across Europe. Similar systems are widely deployed, making the French case relevant to Italy and other markets.
The security angle: Pagani and Pasi interpret the absence of a ransom demand as consistent with sabotage and discuss a possible state-backed operation. Attribution remains unresolved.
What about Italy? “It would be a mistake to dismiss the episode as a French problem,” Pagani and Pasi write. “The same controllers are widespread throughout Europe, and thousands of installations are also vulnerable in Belgium and the Netherlands.”
- Their warning also concerns regulatory coverage: “NIS2 includes the food sector, but covers industrial production and wholesale distribution, largely leaving out the retail outlet, where the product meets the consumer. The French case shows that this is precisely where the weak link lies.”
What needs to change. The authors outline practical measures to strengthen protection:
- “Connected installations need to be inventoried, operational networks separated from corporate networks, maintenance providers’ remote access controlled and tracked, devices that no longer receive updates replaced according to a plan, and manual emergency procedures established, because a refrigerator must be able to stay cold even when the network is compromised.”
- Their closing warning brings the issue back to everyday life: “Above all, we need to stop thinking of OT security as a matter for nuclear power plants. The next act of sabotage could, once again, come through the frozen-food counter.”
What’s next: Decode39 will continue tracking the story as it develops, building on our ongoing coverage of hybrid threats across Europe, with particular attention to Italy.
