US agencies warn of cyberattacks on refrigeration systems

Five U.S. federal agencies issued a joint warning after cyberattacks disrupted refrigeration systems at grocery stores and blood banks across Europe.

The warning

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI, and the departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture and Transportation said the federal government is "aware of malicious cyber actors targeting industrial refrigeration and cold chain monitoring systems globally." The agencies warned of "ongoing cyber threat activity" that could target refrigeration systems used across healthcare, agriculture, transportation and other U.S. industries.

Bad actors globally are exploiting vulnerabilities and weaknesses in refrigeration systems that are "unpatched" or connected to the internet, the agencies said. "If successfully exploited, the actors could change the temperature and possibly cause physical impacts such as fire hazards, loss of inventory and changes to the service life of the system," CISA said in a statement issued with the FBI, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Agriculture and Department of Transportation.

Incidents in Europe and the U.S.

Food retailers reported unexpected temperature spikes in refrigeration systems, causing food to spoil in stores in Luxembourg, Belgium and Sweden. Officials in France, which has also been hit by grocery store cyberattacks, said on Wednesday that its national emergency blood supply network was targeted by hackers who tried to raise refrigeration temperatures at several blood banks.

The Pentagon said in a statement last week that it was investigating a string of recent freezer malfunctions at six commissaries on U.S. military bases, though it is unclear if these incidents are related. The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division has launched an investigation into the incidents at six U.S. military bases in August.

Recommended actions

CISA said businesses that rely on industrial refrigeration should take precautions, including changing passwords, disconnecting system devices from the internet and making software updates to address vulnerabilities. "Every organization that depends on refrigeration and monitoring systems should assume it could be a target," Chris Butera, acting executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA, said in a statement.

The agencies did not specify if any refrigeration systems have been targeted in the U.S.

Why it matters

The warning signals growing concern that attacks on refrigeration systems could spread and affect U.S. food refrigeration systems, with potential impacts on grocery stores, healthcare facilities, blood banks and military commissaries.

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Sources

• politico.com: US agencies issue warning after spate of cyberattacks on refrigerators - POLITICO
• cbsnews.com: Federal agencies warn organizations about potential cyberattacks on industrial refrigerators - CBS News

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.