BRUSSELS, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission said Tuesday that recent cyberattacks affecting supermarket refrigeration systems across several European Union (EU) countries were not isolated incidents, while stressing that national investigations were ongoing and that it was too early to attribute responsibility.
Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told a midday press briefing that the Commission was in direct contact with member states and relevant national authorities and had convened two coordination meetings Tuesday morning.
"I would be extremely careful when it comes to attributions. It's not for us to do for now," Regnier said when asked about possible foreign involvement.
He said the incidents underscored the need for collective resilience and preparedness, showing how cyberattacks could disrupt essential services and affect citizens' daily lives.
The first meeting, held early Tuesday, brought together an EU interinstitutional task force, EU agencies including Europol, and relevant Commission departments.
A second meeting later in the morning involved national authorities, including those from affected countries, through the European Cyber Crisis Liaison Organisation Network.
The priority was to share information about what had happened and determine how best to respond collectively, as the incidents affected several member states, Regnier said.
Cyberattacks affected refrigeration systems on Monday in several European countries, including Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, Estonia and Finland, forcing some retailers to discard affected food products. ■
