UK Meat Suppliers Hit by Cyberattacks as Officials Warn of Food-Supply Risks
Some UK meat suppliers saw refrigeration units start to warm after cyberattacks hit systems used by food businesses across Europe. The incidents affected a h...
Some UK meat suppliers saw refrigeration units start to warm after cyberattacks hit systems used by food businesses across Europe. The incidents affected a handful of suppliers, but no meat was lost because the units were empty at the time.
Paul Chichester, operations director at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), said the agency was working with affected businesses and described the national impact as minimal. The attacks have nonetheless exposed how vulnerable equipment connected to the food supply chain could disrupt operations.
Empty units, but a warning for suppliers
The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers said a few of its roughly 300 members were caught up in the incidents. Two members’ refrigeration units began defrosting, while another reported a cold-storage unit reaching 100C, according to the association. The affected units were empty, so no produce was spoiled.
Meat suppliers said the equipment problems followed attacks targeting refrigeration systems used by supermarkets and food businesses in Europe. On Monday, businesses in eight European countries reported disruptions, with some supermarket freezers rising to 50C. Incidents had also been reported in France the previous month.
The immediate damage in the UK was limited. But refrigeration is essential to keeping food safe, and a failure while units contain stock could threaten supplies and cause losses. The incidents also show that risks can reach beyond supermarkets to other businesses connected to the same food chain.
Officials work to close vulnerabilities
The NCSC said it was helping the affected firms and monitoring the situation. Chichester said the agency was working with organisations to identify weaknesses in UK systems and address them before attackers could exploit them.
Chief executive Richard Horne said the French incident involved older technology connected to the internet and protected by default passwords. Britain’s intelligence agency GCHQ had worked through the night to alert UK organisations that might be vulnerable, he said.
Security experts also found similarities between attacks on decoy refrigerator controls, deliberately exposed online to attract hackers, and malicious operations linked to Russia. The warning from the meat suppliers’ association was direct: “Businesses may be seen by some as targets.”
