Former FBI Special Agent Nicole Parker warned that the next threat to Americans’ sense of security could emerge in the grocery aisle. Suspected hackers have reportedly raised freezer temperatures at supermarkets in Europe, prompting concerns that basic necessities could be turned into tools of “psychological warfare.”
Parker said cyberattacks aimed at the systems Americans depend on for food and other essentials could also reach the United States.
“Every human being has to eat,” Parker told News Outlet. “This is the grocery store.”
A former FBI agent warned that cyberattacks on supermarkets could eventually target the United States. (iStock)
Her warning comes as the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Cyber Field Office works with the Defense Commissary Agency and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service to determine what caused refrigeration failures at military commissaries in August, an Army CID spokesperson confirmed to News Outlet.
Investigators are also coordinating with French law enforcement to determine whether the U.S. failures may be connected to refrigeration outages in Europe. Officials have not established that a cyberattack caused the military commissary malfunctions.
U.S. Army Fort Huachuca said in August that an outage had disrupted its commissaries. (U.S. Army Fort Huachuca)
At least six commissaries — grocery stores on military installations that serve service members — reported refrigeration problems in late August.
“ALL frozen food has spoiled,” Fort Huachuca in Arizona said in an Aug. 26 Facebook post.
The other affected locations included F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island, Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, Travis Air Force Base in California and Fort Irwin in California. After its refrigeration failure, Fort Irwin restricted commissary sales to dry goods.
In at least one instance, refrigeration units were adjusted to warmer temperatures overnight instead of being shut down, Reuters reported.
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Drew Jordan Pocaigue, a supply chain manager with Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Installations West, loads a damaged refrigerator onto a truck during Operation Clean Sweep II at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., April 3, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Noah Martinez)
Separately, refrigeration systems at European supermarkets were disrupted Monday, forcing some retailers to throw away food. Reuters reported that stores in Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg were among those affected, with temperatures in some systems rising to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
Parker said the incidents highlight a threat she has discussed for years with former FBI colleagues: cyberattacks aimed at critical infrastructure.
“What we’re seeing right now is in Europe and other places, but it can very well happen on our soil,” she said.
She characterized the threat as “asymmetrical warfare,” allowing an attacker to disrupt everyday life without launching a missile or deploying troops to a battlefield.
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A young woman carries a basket of fresh produce while shopping at a grocery store. (iStock)
“No one in law enforcement underestimates the damage a cyberattack against our country or our allies could cause,” Parker said.
The people responsible for the European incidents had not been identified, Reuters reported Wednesday. Parker cautioned against speculating about who may be behind them.
“Again, we don’t know who did this,” she said.
Parker said the possible consequences extend beyond spoiled groceries. An attack on a basic necessity could also undermine the public’s confidence and sense of security.
“This asymmetrical warfare has a very strong psychological impact, but we’re Americans. We will not falter ever,” she said.
Parker said the response must involve more than investigators pursuing hackers. Elected officials and local leaders responsible for maintaining essential services need training and contingency plans to support residents if those services are interrupted.
“We’re in a place now where it’s not just enough for law enforcement to be prepared,” she said.
City managers, mayors and city council members need to understand potential threats and know how they would respond to protect their communities, Parker said. She emphasized the importance of identifying vulnerabilities and preventing attacks before they occur.
Parker also encouraged families to keep basic supplies available and develop a plan for a cyberattack or other disruption to essential services.
“I think if you are prepared, you do not have to fear,” Parker said.
She advised Americans to keep food, water and necessary medicines on hand, store important documents in one designated place and discuss how family members would communicate during a power outage. She also recommended keeping a battery-powered AM radio.
“I’m not saying that, you know, you need to go buy everything off of the shelves,” Parker said.
Instead, she urged people to incorporate practical emergency preparations into their normal routines.
For Parker, who lives in Florida, that advice is familiar.
“We’re used to hurricanes,” she said. “The preparation would be very much the same.”
