Italy’s government says the impact of cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems remains limited, after five Conad stores were targeted in Sicily and Veneto. A meeting at Palazzo Chigi brought together Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, and the heads of the National Cybersecurity Agency and intelligence agencies to assess the incidents and the wider threat reported in several European countries.
The affected stores were two in Veneto and three in Sicily, in Catania, Messina and Palermo. Conad said the attacks took place at around 4 a.m. on November 2 and targeted systems monitoring the temperature of frozen-food counters. The incidents were reported to local postal police, and the company said prompt work by its IT technicians meant no products had to be discarded. It said the financial impact had not yet been determined.
According to Palazzo Chigi, only a small number of businesses have been affected in Italy, compared with the thousands operating nationwide. Officials said no case of a health risk linked to food thawing had been identified. The government noted that some affected systems had outdated protections, internet-exposed interfaces and weaknesses in authentication, while most of the distribution network uses updated systems designed to resist intrusions.
The National Cybersecurity Agency is notifying the Carabinieri’s NAS food-safety unit of any anomalies and is consulting industry groups and major operators. The government’s response includes monitoring and analysing the threat, working with food-sector suppliers and retailers, identifying and notifying exposed businesses, and issuing preventive guidance.
Incidents have also been reported elsewhere in Europe. In Germany, a supermarket run by the Arbeiterwohlfahrt organisation in Wetter-Volmarstein reported damage to food stocks after temperatures rose in refrigerated counters and external storage areas. Media reports have also cited incidents in Wuppertal and the Münsterland. Belgium’s federal prosecutor has opened an investigation, and attacks have also been reported in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Ireland.
Sources: Il Sole 24 Ore Italia.