Hackers target European supermarket fridges, millions in spoiled food tossed

At dozens of supermarkets across Europe, employees are cleaning out shelves, throwing out millions of dollars worth of spoiled food after a suspected cyber security attack which targeted fridges and freezers, causing temperatures to soar. All the merchandise that... This grocery store manager in Belgium said all of the merchandise here is normally chilled but it reached temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius. Supermarkets in seven countries including the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden were hit. I don't understand at all what they're doing. We don't understand how they benefit from this said this grocery store manager. It's a form of terrorism. This cyber attack was similar albeit smaller to what happened in France last month when fridges at hundreds of supermarkets overheated. No one claimed responsibility in either attack and it's not clear whether Monday's incident is connected. Like many modern devices, the fridges are connected to the internet, which allows the control system to be accessed remotely for monitoring and maintenance. But hackers found and exploited a vulnerability. After what happened in France, many retailers bolstered security. These controllers are connected to the internet. But experts say clearly not all. I'm quite surprised that these big brands, knowing about these exploits that were known already before, We're not yet protected. I'm a bit astonished. The cyber security expert says these attacks should be a wake-up call about the importance of software updates and password changes. This is serious. We are talking about food. And if it becomes major, it can really affect the country. It can affect the region. Security agencies are investigating who might have been behind Monday's attack, which European officials see as a deliberate attempt to try and disrupt the region's food supply. Briar Stewart, CBC News, London.