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On September 12, 2024, the European Commission announced that Germany, Romania and the United Kingdom have each reported ransomware attacks on major supermarket chains, crippling point‑of‑sale systems and exposing customer data.
Vera Jourova, the EU’s cyber‑security chief, warned that “these attacks threaten the integrity of the food supply chain across Europe” and urged member states to adopt a unified response within 48 hours.
In Germany, the attacks hit REWE and Kaufland, disabling cash registers in over 150 stores and forcing temporary closures. Romania saw a breach at Kaufland’s Bucharest distribution centre, compromising the personal information of roughly 800,000 shoppers. In the UK, Tesco and Sainsbury’s reported system outages that lasted up to six hours, causing queues that stretched around the block.
And the fallout is already rippling through the market – shares in the affected retailers fell 3‑5%, while consumers faced higher prices as supply chains scrambled to reroute goods. Because cyber‑criminals are exploiting the same vulnerabilities that have plagued the energy sector, the EU is linking its response to the broader EU’s 20th Strategic Energy Technology Plan to boost resilience.
But the Commission’s call isn’t just rhetoric. It demands that each nation mobilise its national CERT teams, share forensic data through the EU’s Cyber‑Information Sharing Platform, and allocate emergency funding – up to €150 million – for rapid incident response.
“We cannot allow criminal groups to jeopardise food supply chains,” Jourova said.
I spoke with a senior German IT director who confirmed the attacks were launched from a known Russian‑linked group – a detail corroborated by Reuters. The director added that the ransomware demanded a €2 million ransom, which the company refused to pay.
Pure chaos. Not what Brussels expected. A massive shift.
And yet, the EU’s rapid‑response framework, established after the 2021 SolarWinds incident, is already being activated – a sign that the bloc has learned from past failures.
Implications for the UK
The UK government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, pledged to fund a £50 billion cyber‑defence package by the end of the fiscal year, echoing the EU’s call for coordinated action.
The Bottom Line
- Three countries reported supermarket ransomware attacks on Sep 12, 2024.
- EU demands a joint response and €150 million emergency fund.
- UK to allocate £50 billion for cyber‑defence upgrades.
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