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Businesses face ‘sharpened scrutiny’ on cyber policies after fridge hacks
Recent cyberattacks that altered supermarket refrigeration systems have led insurers to expect closer checks of businesses’ technology when setting future cyber policy prices. The incidents matter because failures in connected operational equipment can spoil food and create financial losses, showing that cyber risk extends beyond conventional IT systems.
The attacks affected supermarkets in Sweden, Belgium and Ireland, where food had to be discarded, and British food suppliers were also affected. The NCSC confirmed a small number of UK incidents involving vulnerable refrigeration technology. Hiscox and Aon said businesses should secure and update connected equipment, control access and understand policy limits, as cyber and property cover may treat losses differently; insurers are also assessing risks from agentic AI.
In short
- Fridge system hacks spoiled food across European supermarkets.
- The NCSC confirmed a small number of similar UK incidents.
- Insurers expect closer checks of businesses’ connected technology.
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The case for
Insurers have a sound reason to scrutinise connected equipment more closely: weakly secured refrigeration systems can be exploited, causing food waste and significant business losses. Better checks and clear policy limits could encourage firms to update equipment, restrict access and understand whether cyber or property cover applies, helping insurers price risks more accurately.
The case against
More intensive checks and higher premiums could burden businesses, including those that rely on older equipment or have limited resources to replace it. Firms may also face uncertainty if cyber and property policies treat the same incident differently, so scrutiny should be proportionate and insurers should explain coverage clearly rather than shifting complex risks onto customers.
Explained simply
Many businesses use internet connected equipment to monitor or control things such as refrigeration, heating and production lines. These systems can be linked to ordinary computer networks, so a weakness in the equipment or its software may let an attacker interfere with physical operations.
Supermarkets in Sweden, Belgium and Ireland have had refrigeration systems altered in cyberattacks, leading to food being thrown away; British food suppliers were also affected. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre confirmed a small number of incidents involving vulnerable refrigeration technology.
Insurers such as Hiscox, and brokers such as Aon, help businesses assess and cover these risks. Insurers may check how firms protect and update connected equipment when setting cyber policy prices, while the terms of cyber and property cover can affect which losses are covered.
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