CISA, the FBI and other federal agencies have urged organizations to protect refrigeration systems from attacks that remotely alter settings, including temperatures. The advisory, published November 5, says US authorities "are aware of malicious cyber activity targeting industrial refrigeration and cold chain monitoring systems globally."
The warning follows recent incidents in which hackers accessed internet-connected refrigeration systems and tampered with temperatures. Such attacks can ruin food and medical supplies.
According to the report, on October 11, several supermarket chains in France and other European countries destroyed food stock after hackers compromised systems administered by refrigeration provider Danfoss. The attackers reportedly programmed systems to reach temperatures as high as 50 °C (122 °F). A similar incident reportedly affected supermarkets in at least nine European countries on November 1.
The report also says a cyber-attack targeting refrigeration equipment provider Coolworld turned cold storage rooms at France's National Blood Service (EFS) to 110 °C (230 °F).
The advisory warns operators in sectors including healthcare, chemicals, food and agriculture, and transportation to watch for similar attacks. The agencies wrote: "