Europe under hybrid attack: bomb hoaxes and supermarket cyberattacks raise security fears
Bomb hoaxes and supermarket cyberattacks are heightening security fears across Europe as authorities investigate a wider hybrid attack campaign.
At a glance
- Italy reported that civilian infrastructure in Europe is under attack following a series of bomb threats.
- Hackers targeted supermarket freezers in several countries, raising temperatures and spoiling food.
- Experts are investigating whether these incidents are connected and how European nations can respond to counter hybrid attacks.
Italy has declared that civilian infrastructure across Europe is "under attack" following a series of bomb threats this week. The incidents grounded flights and put airports on high alert, with no explosives found and the threats appearing to be false. Beyond aviation disruptions, hackers have also targeted supermarket freezers in several countries, raising temperatures and spoiling food. Together, these incidents are raising fears about a wider campaign of hybrid attacks. Experts including Eric Schouten of Dyami Security Intelligence, Dennis-Kenji Kipker of the Cyber Intelligence Institute, and Patrick Bury of the University of Bath are investigating whether these threats are connected and how European nations can respond to counter such acts of aggression. The situation has heightened security concerns across the continent and prompted calls for coordinated action among European security agencies. Authorities are working to determine the motive behind the attacks and whether they represent a coordinated effort by a single group or multiple actors.
Source: Al Jazeera
Questions and answers
- Who is behind the suspected hybrid attacks in Europe?
- Authorities are investigating, but no definitive answer has been confirmed yet.
- What types of attacks have been reported?
- Bomb hoaxes that grounded flights and cyberattacks on supermarket freezers.
