Grocery store cyberattacks are ‘psychological warfare’ that could strike US, former FBI agent warns

Former FBI special agent Nicole Parker warned that the next attack on Americans' sense of security could come through the grocery aisle, as suspected hackers turn up supermarket freezer temperatures in Europe and fuel fears that everyday necessities could become weapons of "psychological warfare." Parker warned that cyberattacks targeting the systems people rely on for food and other essentials could also strike the United States.

Military Commissary Failures

Her warning comes as the Army Criminal Investigation Division's Cyber Field Office works with the Defense Commissary Agency and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service to determine what caused refrigeration failures at military commissaries in August. Investigators are also working with French law enforcement as they examine whether the U.S. failures could be connected to refrigeration outages in Europe. A cyberattack has not been established as the cause of the military commissary malfunctions.

At least six commissaries, grocery stores on military bases serving military personnel, experienced refrigeration problems in late August. "ALL frozen food has spoiled," Fort Huachuca in Arizona said in an Aug. 26 Facebook post.

European Incidents

Other affected locations included F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island, Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, and Travis Air Force Base and Fort Irwin in California. Fort Irwin limited commissary sales to dry goods following its malfunction. In at least one case, refrigeration units were set to higher temperatures overnight rather than simply shutting off, Reuters reported.

Separately, refrigeration systems at European supermarkets were disrupted Monday, forcing some retailers to discard food. Reuters reported that affected businesses included stores in Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg, with temperatures in some systems reaching 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

Asymmetrical Warfare

Parker said the incidents underscore a threat she has long discussed with former FBI colleagues: cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure. "What we're seeing right now is in Europe and other places, but it can very well happen on our soil," she said. She described the danger as "asymmetrical warfare," in which an attacker can disrupt daily life without firing a missile or sending troops onto a battlefield.

The identity of those behind the European incidents remained unknown, Reuters reported Wednesday. Parker also cautioned against drawing conclusions about who was responsible. "Again, we don't know who did this," she said.

For Parker, the potential damage goes beyond spoiled food. Targeting a basic necessity can also shake the public's sense of security. "This asymmetrical warfare has a very strong psychological impact, but we're Americans. We will not falter ever," she said.

Preparation Recommendations

Parker said the response must extend beyond investigators tracking down hackers. Elected officials and local leaders responsible for keeping communities running need training and plans to help residents if essential services are disrupted. "We're in a place now where it's not just enough for law enforcement to be prepared," she said.

City managers, mayors and city council members must understand potential threats and how they would take care of their communities, Parker said. She stressed the need to identify vulnerabilities and stop attacks before they happen.

Parker urged families to keep basic supplies on hand and have a plan in case a cyberattack disrupts essential services. "I think if you are prepared, you do not have to fear," Parker said. She encouraged Americans to keep food, water and needed medicine on hand, gather important documents in a designated location and talk through how family members would communicate during a power outage. She also suggested having a battery-operated AM radio.

"I'm not saying that, you know, you need to go buy everything off of the shelves," Parker said. Instead, she urged people to think about practical preparations as they go about their routines. For Parker, who lives in Florida, the approach is familiar. "We're used to hurricanes," she said. "The preparation would be very much the same."