Former FBI special agent Nicole Parker warned that the next threat to Americans’ sense of security could emerge in the grocery aisle. Her comments came as suspected hackers allegedly raised freezer temperatures at supermarkets in Europe, fueling concerns that basic necessities could be used as tools of “psychological warfare.”
Parker said cyberattacks aimed at the systems Americans depend on for food and other essentials could also target the United States.
“Every human being has to eat,” Parker told News Media. “This is the grocery store.”
Her warning followed an investigation by the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Cyber Field Office, the Defense Commissary Agency and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service into refrigeration failures at military commissaries in August. An Army CID spokesperson confirmed the inquiry to News Media.
Investigators are also coordinating with French law enforcement to determine whether the U.S. failures were linked to refrigeration outages in Europe. Officials have not established that a cyberattack caused the military commissary malfunctions.
Fort Huachuca in August reported that an outage had affected the commissaries at the U.S. Army base. (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 a Facebook post dated Aug. 26.
The affected locations also included F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island, Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, and Travis Air Force Base 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 reportedly set to higher temperatures overnight instead of being turned off, Reuters reported.
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Drewjordan 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 in California on April 3, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Noah Martinez)
Separately, refrigeration systems at European supermarkets were disrupted Monday, prompting some retailers to throw away food. Reuters reported that stores in Sweden, Belgium and Luxembourg were affected, with temperatures in some systems climbing to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
Parker said the events highlight a danger she has repeatedly discussed 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 daily life without launching a missile or deploying troops to a battlefield.
A young woman carries a basket of fresh produce while shopping at a grocery store. (iStock)
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“No one in law enforcement underestimates the damage that could result from a cyberattack against our country or our allies,” Parker said.
The people responsible for the European incidents had not been identified, Reuters reported Wednesday. Parker cautioned against making assumptions about the attackers’ identities.
“Again, we don’t know who did this,” she said.
Parker said the potential consequences extend beyond spoiled groceries. Disrupting access to a basic necessity could also undermine the public’s sense of safety.
“This asymmetrical warfare has a very strong psychological impact, but we’re Americans. We will not falter ever,” she said.
She said preparedness must involve more than investigators pursuing hackers. Elected officials and local leaders who keep communities functioning need training and response plans for possible disruptions to essential services.
“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 should understand the potential threats and know how they would support their communities, Parker said. She emphasized the importance of identifying weaknesses and preventing attacks before they occur.
Parker also encouraged families to maintain basic supplies and create a plan in case a cyberattack interrupts essential services.
“I think if you are prepared, you do not have to fear,” Parker said.
She recommended keeping food, water and necessary medications available, storing important documents in one designated place and discussing how family members would communicate during a power outage. She also suggested having 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 Americans to incorporate sensible preparations into their normal routines.
For Parker, who lives in Florida, the advice is familiar.
“We’re used to hurricanes,” she said. “The preparation would be very much the same.”