Mirko Ross on the cyberattacks on supermarket chillers
Hackers have remotely taken control of refrigerated shelves in supermarkets across several European countries, raising temperatures to as high as 50 degrees. In an interview with Capital.de, Mirko Ross, CEO and founder of asvin, explains how this was possible and why it could happen again.
According to the BSI, Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security, at least eleven European countries have been affected, including individual stores in Germany. A single branch in Lilienthal alone had to throw away food worth 34,000 euros. In October, around 700 supermarkets in France had already been hit. The attackers needed surprisingly little to gain access: a username and a date.
“We know that this is the same vulnerability as in France just a few weeks ago,” says Ross. “Behind it are small unit controllers that cannot simply be updated. But if these components are connected to the internet, they are of course vulnerable.”
Who is behind the attacks?
There has been no claim of responsibility and no ransom demand. Ross has a clear view on who the possible perpetrators might be, and says: “New cases should not surprise us.”
That leaves the question of what supermarkets can do now. Replacing all the devices quickly is unrealistic, according to Mirko Ross: “The supply chain simply can’t deliver that.” Read the full article to find out which measure he recommends instead and why German retailers are comparatively well prepared.
Read the full article on capital.de:
Konrad Buck
Head of Press and Media Relations
Background & Expert Access for Media
- Product & technology insights – technical context, solution architecture, and real-world use cases for professional and trade media
- Expert commentary & background talks – our CEO is available as an expert source on current cybersecurity developments, threat landscapes, and the impact of AI on security and regulation
I speak openly, fact-based, and without PR spin. I am a former IT journalist with decades of experience in the IT and cybersecurity space, familiar with the highs and lows of the industry. Off-the-record discussions are possible upon request.
