The next cyberattack might not steal your data, but it could spoil your food.
🔔 Get industry insight direct to WhatsApp
Hackers targeting supermarket fridges might sound like the premise of a tech thriller, but it’s a very real threat that has already caused major disruption across Europe.
Recent attacks on refrigeration systems have left retailers throwing away tonnes of chilled and frozen food after hackers gained access to connected fridge controls and forced units into defrost mode. While the UK has so far avoided the worst of the disruption, the incidents have raised uncomfortable questions about how vulnerable the food supply chain really is.
In the latest episode of What the FMCG?!, Rachel Graham is joined by The Grocer’s fresh foods editor Grace Duncan and technology editor George Nott to unpack one of the weirdest stories of the year.
Together they explore:
- How hackers managed to compromise supermarket refrigeration systems
- Why food businesses are becoming increasingly attractive targets
- What the attacks reveal about hidden vulnerabilities across grocery
- Whether UK retailers and suppliers should be worried
- Why cyber security is no longer just about protecting customer data
- What businesses can do to reduce their exposure
Their conversation also examines the wider implications for food security, food waste and supply chain resilience as supermarkets become ever more connected through smart technology.
Because as this episode reveals, when cyberattacks move beyond computers and into the physical infrastructure that keeps food cold, stocked and safe, the consequences become far more tangible.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.
No comments yet