Entrepreneurs edition
Hackers got into the cooling systems of shops and wholesalers, including in the Netherlands, through the internet, and it mostly involved old devices without updates.
Hackers make cold rooms go out of control, including in the Netherlands
On Monday, Alex Pearce, who runs a fruit and vegetable wholesale business in London, saw the defrost lights on his cold rooms turn on. The panel showed 150 degrees. He pulled the internet cable out of the box that connects the cold rooms to the internet. It turned out to be a hacker attack.
The same day, shops in Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden reported similar problems. In some shops, the temperature of fridges and freezers rose to 50 degrees.
The hackers attacked companies that supply the control software for cooling systems. That is how they reached the users. The Danish company Danfoss is one of the affected suppliers. It says that most of the affected equipment was old and no longer received security updates.
What does this mean for you? Do you have a business with devices connected to the internet, such as cooling systems? Then old equipment without updates is the weakest point. A security expert says attackers mostly take the chances they find. Anything connected to the internet will be attacked sooner or later. Pearce says an attack at the weekend, when he is not there, could have caused a fire. His own system from 2018 still needs an update. The internet cable is not back in the box yet.
Background for subscribersIf you have cold rooms or other devices connected to the internet, old equipment without updates is the weakest point. The supplier Danfoss says it has advised customers for a long time to update or replace. The British cyber security centre NCSC expects more incidents, so waiting is becoming riskier.
More time for high-risk AI: map now where AI helps decide things about people
The strictest AI rules only start on 2 December 2027. This gives organizations time to prepare. A practical first step is an overview of all the places where AI helps decide things about people. Think of HR, education and credit. For each use, write down which tool it is, who uses it and which decision depends on it. This way you can quickly see later where extra rules apply. Smaller organizations are not on their own. The European Commission and the member states must give practical support to small and medium-sized businesses.
Background for subscribersThis is a taster.
Subscribers read the whole Entrepreneurs edition: every story, each with its background in plain language.
Subscribe →Not ready for that? Read the free letter first →
AI and tech, made simple.
This is the Entrepreneurs edition. Subscribers get the background to every story, in plain language.
Subscribe
inklaretaal · Amsterdam · © 2026