Cross-border refrigeration attacks
Supermarkets in seven European countries have been hit by a second cyberattack targeting their refrigeration systems. Around 40 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were affected, alongside stores operated by Carrefour, Colruyt Group, Ikea, Musgrave Group, ICA and Coop, following a similar incident in France in October. Sabcobel, which manufactures and operates certain refrigeration units, stated that evaporators were switched to defrost mode and that units required physical modifications rather than software updates alone to address the vulnerability.
Insurance and regulatory implications
Law firm Browne Jacobson noted that the incidents illustrate the operational risks targeted by regulations such as the EU's NIS2 Directive and the UK's proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. Insurance brokers warn that the multi-country spread raises aggregation concerns for reinsurers, while potential state-backed attacks could trigger war exclusions. Furthermore, standard policies may leave policyholders exposed due to physical loss exclusions in cyber policies and cyber exclusions in property spoilage cover.