Norwegian Food Safety Authority speaks out on cyberattacks on European refrigeration and freezing facilities: the entire food chain may be affected

In October and early November 2026, a number of supermarket chains, warehouse facilities and cold stores in several European countries were hit by cyberattacks targeting refrigeration and freezing facilities, a series of incidents the EU has described as attacks on the food supply. During the same period, temperatures at refrigeration and freezing equipment in some Norwegian supermarkets and food warehouses also suddenly turned "summer-like."

Following the above hacking incidents at refrigerated facilities, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) issued a warning that the food and drinking water sectors face a higher risk of digital attacks. Anders Thorheim, head of the authority's social security and emergency preparedness department, said both sectors make extensive use of digital systems to control mechanical processes.

Responding to media questions, Thorheim said the authority bases its work on the overall risk and threat assessments of the security authorities. He noted that the Norwegian National Security Authority's assessment of the cyber risk level, together with the recent attacks on refrigeration/freezing systems in Europe, shows that large parts of society may be subject to digital attacks and that vulnerabilities must be reduced to protect assets. "This is a threat that all industries must take seriously," he said.

Asked whether freezing capacity at slaughterhouses and processing plants in the aquaculture sector faces the same kind of threat, whether similar attacks could occur at these freezing facilities, and how companies can defend themselves, Thorheim responded that the authority assesses that the entire food chain may be subject to digital attacks and that companies should take the necessary measures to adequately protect their assets. He advised all companies to update their understanding of digital threats — "this is a new reality we have to face" — and called on them to consult the guidance on the Norwegian National Security Authority's website, which lists a number of measures to reduce companies' digital vulnerabilities as well as guidance on good security management.

As for which specific measures should be taken, Thorheim believes this depends on how systems are built and which assets need protection. His recommendations include: a particularly decisive scenario is where unauthorized parties gain access to operational technology permissions and quickly cause physical consequences, as seen in the refrigeration/freezing incidents at European supermarket companies in recent weeks; simple measures such as adequate password protection, multi-factor authentication and minimizing exposure to the internet should be in place; in addition, establishing unified, structured security management is important to the success of security work, which means advancing personnel, technical and organizational measures simultaneously. He added that developing good contingency plans and regularly exercising them is equally important.

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority issued this warning on 10 November 2026.