European supermarkets have recently been subject to suspected cyberattacks again, which has drawn attention to how retailers can continue to provide necessary remote maintenance services while protecting their critical operational technologies.
Copenhagen, Denmark, November 2, 2026 / PRNewswire / -- Supermarket chains across Europe have recently reported a new round of suspected cyberattacks on cooling systems. Just a few weeks ago, attackers were reported to have tampered with the refrigeration equipment in hundreds of French stores, resulting in a large amount of food loss.
The latest incidents from Sweden, Belgium, and Luxembourg highlight an increasingly severe challenge faced by retailers: the operational technologies responsible for food safety ( OT ) are becoming more and more interconnected with external systems and service providers. If these connections are not properly secured, they can pose potential security risks.
Unlike traditional cyberattacks that aim to steal data or disrupt IT services, attacks targeting operational technologies can have direct physical consequences. Compromised cold storage systems may lead to food spoilage, operational disruptions, significant financial losses, and potential food safety risks.
"These incidents illustrate that network security is no longer just about protecting information. When attackers interfere with operational technologies, the consequences can be physical," said Michael Ferdinandsen, CEO of Secomea. Secomea is a Danish industrial network security company specializing in secure remote access.
"For retailers, the question is not whether remote access is needed. The answer is definitely yes. The real question is whether they can have full control over who can access the devices, what they can access, and what they can do within the system."
The challenge lies not in connection, but in access control.
Modern cold storage systems rely on remote access to operate efficiently. External service providers and maintenance technicians use remote access to monitor temperatures, respond to alarms, diagnose faults, and maintain equipment located at hundreds or even thousands of sites.
This type of connection is crucial for reducing response times and preventing device failures. However, it also opens potential entry points for attackers, especially when the operating devices are directly connected to the internet or when remote users gain access beyond what is necessary.
For supermarket chains that manage multiple stores, cold storage systems, and external service providers, this challenge is even more complex. Different suppliers may use various access methods, making it difficult for the IT team and security teams to uniformly determine who can connect to critical infrastructure.
"Many companies have invested a significant amount of resources in protecting their IT environment, but operational equipment often faces different challenges," Ferdinandsen explained.
The original intention of designing these systems was for them to operate reliably for many years, sometimes even decades. They were not necessarily designed with today's requirements for connectivity and network security in mind. If we ignore these differences and directly apply traditional remote access solutions without modification, it may lead to unnecessary risks.
Ensure access security without interfering with operations.
Protecting a cold system does not mean giving up remote access. On the contrary, retailers need a method that allows external technicians to perform necessary maintenance while ensuring that access to operational assets is controllable and traceable.
A secure remote access solution designed specifically for OT can help address this challenge by controlling connections at the level of individual assets, rather than granting users extensive access to the operational network.
The OT native architecture of Secomea can provide secure connections for operational assets through edge gateways deployed close to the devices. Centralized access management, fine-grained permissions, and audit logs help enterprises control who can connect, which devices can be accessed, and when the access can occur.
This solution has already been applied in the retail cold chain industry. In Denmark, cold monitoring expert AK-Centralen is using the technology of Secomea to provide remote monitoring support for cold systems to over 1,500 supermarkets. The secure connection enables the company to continuously carry out critical monitoring and maintenance tasks without the need for direct access to the internal networks of the supermarkets.
This case demonstrates that efficient remote maintenance and stricter network security controls can coexist without conflict.
Operational resilience depends on transparency and control.
The issues raised by recent events are far more than just the problems with the supermarket's cold storage system itself. From building management and energy systems to production equipment and logistics infrastructure, businesses are increasingly dependent on networked operational assets that are maintained by external experts.
As these environments become increasingly interconnected, enterprises need a unified approach to manage third-party access, limit permissions to the assets that are actually required, and maintain continuous awareness of remote activities.
Secure remote access, along with vulnerability management, network segmentation, system updates, and continuous monitoring, constitute a part of this protection system.
"Enterprises should not have to choose between maintaining operations and ensuring security," Ferdinandsen concluded.
The goal is to enable the remote support that modern operations rely on, while also providing the necessary control and management capabilities for IT and the security team. This is particularly important when the relevant systems have a direct impact on physical operations.
Although the specific methods of the recent suspected attacks are still under investigation, these incidents once again remind people that security breaches in operational environments can rapidly escalate into business continuity issues.
About Secomea
Secomea is a Danish industrial network security company that specializes in secure remote access for operational technology (OT). Secomea is designed specifically for industrial environments, helping enterprises to connect critical assets while providing IT and security teams with centralized control, fine-grained access control, and visibility into remote access.
By combining secure operations with enterprise-level security requirements, Secomea helps organizations enhance operational resilience, reduce network risks, and maintain control over third-party access.
Created for operational technology. Approved by IT.
