Cyberattack caused refrigeration failures at Finnish grocery stores

Finland’s National Cyber Security Centre has confirmed that a cyberattack caused refrigeration equipment failures at grocery stores on Monday, Yle reported.

Juha Tretjakov, a senior specialist at the centre, which operates under the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency, said an external party had interfered with a remote management system. The equipment had been accessible via the internet, allowing it to be attacked from outside, he said.

The centre detected 30 devices in Finland that had been visible online and therefore vulnerable to attack. Disruptions affected a few smaller K Group grocery stores. The attacker has not been identified, and police are investigating. The centre has also contacted authorities abroad as part of its inquiry.

Tretjakov said the centre had contacted Finland’s healthcare sector and the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service after a cyberattack on a state blood bank in France on Wednesday. He said they had confirmed that cold-storage equipment used by Finland’s healthcare sector was protected against such attacks.

Tags: cybersecurity, Finland, grocery stores