Supermarket Fridge Attack Is Just The Start, Says UK Cybersecurity Chief

UK cybersecurity chief Richard Horne warned that the European supermarket fridge hacks are likely only the beginning of more frequent disruptions as legacy technology struggles against hackers. Speaking after the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) annual report release on Tuesday 3 November 2026, Horne said the incident was “just the foothills” and highlighted a “huge rise” in the volume of events as the main near-term risk. The NCSC report expects AI to boost hackers’ capabilities, though officials said AI likely wasn’t required for these refrigerator attacks because they targeted known weaknesses in older systems. Horne criticized “tech on the cheap” across UK supply chains and said AI-powered ransomware is highly likely by 2028 on critical infrastructure.