Lucrezia Ciotti Hacking attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems are spreading to new Italian locations, including school and hospital cafeterias. Following cases reported in Sicily, Abruzzo, and Sardinia, a Tuscan company has also come under fire. Potential food safety risks are causing concern, while the government is reassuring the public about the national situation and the Postal Police are continuing their investigation.
Food safety experts weigh in: the government rules out a national emergency
After a meeting at Palazzo Chigi with Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, and the heads of the National Cybersecurity and Intelligence Agency, the government ruled out a nationwide emergency . According to initial investigations, the number of affected businesses is limited compared to the total number of supermarkets in Italy.
The institutions will continue to monitor the situation and collaborate with operators in the supply chain to prevent new incidents.
As reported by Leggo , Stefano Zanero, full professor of Cybersecurity at the Polytechnic University of Milan, explained the possible causes of the intrusions. According to the expert, many industrial plants are connected to the internet, but they don't always have up-to-date protections.
" All industrial systems today are controlled via the Internet, a trend that has developed over the last 20 years ," he observed, highlighting the critical issues of older machinery.
Refrigerators and refrigeration systems under scrutiny: reports from Tuscany, Sicily, Abruzzo, and Sardinia
Following the initial incidents in large-scale retail trade, new cases have emerged involving companies involved in mass catering. Among these is Siaf , a company based in Bagno a Ripoli, in the province of Florence, which manages canteen services for schools, hospitals, and businesses . The company confirmed that on Monday, November 2, several digital systems used to control refrigeration were affected by a cyber intrusion. The anomaly was quickly identified thanks to monitoring systems, allowing the problem to be contained without impacting the regular operation of operations. The company also assured its cooperation with the authorities, to whom it will provide " all information useful for the investigation and to ascertain the nature and origin of the attack ."
New incidents have also been reported in Sardinia , where two Viro supermarkets in Sassari had their refrigeration systems tampered with. The temperatures in the refrigerated cabinets reportedly rose to around 15 degrees, compromising the proper preservation of food. The Postal Police are investigating the incident.
Meanwhile, in Abruzzo , a supermarket in Silvi Marina , in the Teramo area, was attacked by hackers overnight: the system settings were apparently modified, causing temperatures to rise to around 40 degrees Celsius. Daniele Erasmi, regional president of Confesercenti and national president of Fiesa, commented on the incident: " No one thought supermarkets could be targeted in this way, and yet it happened ."
The situation is particularly delicate in Sicily , where several stores have been reported affected. At a Coop supermarket in the center of Palermo, belonging to the Radenza group, staff had to clear out frozen food and poultry stocks due to unsuitable storage temperatures.