U.S. Warns of Cyber Threat to Industrial Refrigeration

Five U.S. agencies, including CISA and the FBI, issued a warning on November 5 about cyberattacks targeting commercial refrigeration and cold-chain monitoring systems. The agencies said vulnerable or internet-connected equipment could be manipulated to change temperatures, damage inventory or create equipment hazards across sectors including food, agriculture, transportation and health care.

The alert follows attacks in Europe that caused temperature rises and spoiled food in grocery stores in countries including Luxembourg, Belgium and Sweden. In France, hackers tried to raise temperatures in refrigerated units holding donated blood, but the attempt was stopped before blood supplies were compromised.

The Pentagon is investigating suspected hacks involving freezers at U.S. military bases, with incidents reported in August. Federal agencies did not specify whether refrigeration systems in the United States had been targeted. Security specialist Joshua Corman warned that medical laboratories, grocery stores and warehouses could also be vulnerable, and said he expects further attacks.

The agencies advised organizations to disconnect remote-control systems from the internet, change passwords, install available software updates and replace equipment that no longer receives vendor support. They have not publicly attributed the attacks to a particular group or government.