Cyberattack forces disposal of food from SuperValu stores in Ireland

Thousands of euros worth of food were discarded from 13 Musgrave SuperValu stores after a Europe‑wide cyberattack targeted the supermarkets’ fridge systems.

Musgrave’s monitoring systems detected the intrusion and the company “took immediate action” by removing all chilled and frozen products from the affected outlets. The issue was resolved later that day, but the incident highlighted the vulnerability of internet‑connected devices.

Ireland was one of seven European countries to report this type of attack, coming weeks after similar breaches hit hundreds of French supermarkets. It is not yet known whether the incidents are linked.

Hazel Murray, chair of Cybersecurity at Munster Technological University, explained that the attackers likely accessed the fridges via a simple internet‑based password entry, allowing them to raise temperatures or switch the units off. She warned that any smart appliance – from fridges to toothbrushes – could be exploited if it is remotely controllable.

Murray said the attack did not appear to be financially motivated, describing the chaos caused as “even more concerning”. She added that the rise of artificial intelligence could lead to more hacking of connected devices, posing particular risks for older people with limited digital skills.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Nati / Pexels.