UK meat processors hit in European freezer hack
UK meat processing firms confirmed hit
The National Cyber Security Centre confirmed on 3 November 2026 that UK meat processing firms have been affected by the same wave of refrigeration cyber-attacks that struck supermarkets across seven European countries on 2 November.
NCSC Director of Operations Paul Chichester: "We're aware of those incidents in the UK and obviously we're working with the affected organisations."
NCSC CEO Dr Richard Horne told BBC Radio 4: "There are handfuls of organisations in the UK we've alerted and we're aware of a couple of impacts."
The attack exploits Danfoss AK-SM 800 and AK-SC 355 refrigeration controllers (end-of-life 2016 and 2021) with default credentials accessible remotely over the internet.
NCSC says the national impact is "minimal" but GCHQ teams worked through the night to alert vulnerable UK food businesses before further exploitation.
Root cause: legacy industrial refrigeration controllers connected to the internet with default passwords — same exploit as the French attack
UK cyber incidents reported (Sept 2025-Aug 2026)
1,831
Classified as nationally significant
80 of 337 handled
Annual cost to UK organisations
~£14.7 billion
Danfoss controllers still exposed online
~4,500 across Europe
Danfoss AK-SM 800 end-of-life
2016
Danfoss AK-SC 355 end-of-life
2021
Refrigeration hack: affected countries and sectors
| Country | Sector | Confirmed | Peak temp |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | Supermarkets (700+ stores) | Oct 12 2026 | 80C (fires at some) |
| Belgium | Supermarkets (Delhaize, Carrefour, Spar, IKEA) | Nov 2 2026 | ~50C |
| Sweden | Supermarkets (ICA, Coop) | Nov 2 2026 | 55C |
| Ireland | SuperValu (13 stores) | Nov 2 2026 | ~50C |
| Luxembourg | Ahold Delhaize | Nov 2 2026 | ~45C |
| Estonia | Selver (1 store) | Nov 2 2026 | 50C |
| Finland | K-Group (several stores) | Nov 2 2026 | ~50C |
| United Kingdom | Meat processing firms | Nov 3 2026 | Not disclosed |
"For decades we have collectively got away with doing tech on the cheap. Electricity switching, sluice gates in water facilities, dam operations, manufacturing lines, heating and refrigeration controls — their resilience and security is even more overlooke
"Dr. Richard Horne - NCSC CEO - 3 Nov 2026
What happens next
NCSC working through the night to contact vulnerable UK food businesses (confirmed 3 Nov)
Belgium federal prosecutor criminal investigation opened (2 Nov 2026)
France Paris prosecutors criminal investigation opened (Oct 2026)
ENISA or national CERTs expected to issue formal advisory on Danfoss controllers
UK food businesses with exposed Danfoss units to be contacted by NCSC for patch guidance
Danfoss AK-SM 800 and AK-SC 355 have no patch path; replacement of controllers required
Sweden and Ireland police investigations expected to open
NCSC to identify whether a state or criminal actor is behind UK incidents
Sources: NCSC Annual Review 2026 launch (primary — ncsc.gov.uk/collection/annual-review-2026, 3 Nov 2026); NCSC press release quoting Paul Chichester and Dr Richard Horne (3 Nov 2026); ITV News (itv.com, 3 Nov 2026); The Guardian (theguardian.com, 3 Nov 2026, 15:43 UTC); Brit Brief (britbrief.co.uk); Intelligent CISO (intelligentciso.com). Prior wave sources: NL Times, CBS News, Guardian (2 Nov 2026). Attribution is unclear; Dr Horne declined to name a responsible actor at this stage.