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In Belgium, the refrigeration company Sabcobel said a cyberattack affected units that were switched into defrost mode.

An attempt to damage or gain control of computer systems.

Ireland’s SuperValu said it removed chilled and frozen food from sale in 13 of its 223 shops after a cyber incident.

Chilled food is kept cold, but not frozen.

In Belgium, the refrigeration company Sabcobel said a cyberattack affected units that were switched into defrost mode.

A setting that warms a refrigerator or freezer to remove built-up ice.

Some refrigeration systems can be monitored and controlled remotely.

From another place, without being physically at the system.

In Estonia, a refrigeration supplier told the ERR broadcaster that attackers accessed a computer controlling a supermarket cooling system and raised the temperature to 50 degrees.

Got into and used the computer system.

The supplier said the attack was stopped within minutes and caused no significant damage.

Important or large enough to matter.

Another researcher said many refrigeration systems have known weaknesses that have not yet been fixed.

Problems in a system that may make it easier to attack.

The BBC also reported that UK researchers found more than 800 refrigeration and building-control interfaces linked to British retailers that could be reached over the public internet.

Points where people or other systems can connect with and control equipment.

The European Union’s food and agriculture commissioner, Christophe Hansen, called the repeated attacks a deliberate effort to disrupt the food supply chain and weaken consumer confidence.

The steps and businesses involved in producing and delivering food to people.