U.S. Agencies Warn of Global Industrial Refrigeration Cyberattacks
The FBI and CISA warned that malicious actors are targeting internet-accessible temperature controllers in grocery and cold storage facilities across the United States and Europe.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, alongside the departments of health, transport, and agriculture, issued a joint warning Thursday regarding cyber threats targeting industrial refrigeration systems. Malicious actors are exploiting vulnerabilities in internet-accessible temperature controllers used in retail grocery and cold storage facilities, which can lead to fire hazards, inventory loss, and reduced equipment lifespan.
These warnings follow a series of escalating global incidents. In August, investigators from the United States Department of War treated mysterious malfunctions at U.S. military base grocery stores as cyberattacks. Last month, a massive hack of freezers in France caused tens of millions of euros in damage, and a more recent wave of attacks on Monday affected over 100 stores across Europe.
U.S. officials are urging operators to isolate these devices from corporate networks, remove them from the public internet, and apply all necessary software updates to mitigate the risk.
