US authorities warn of hacker attacks on industrial cooling systems
FBI, CISA and several ministries are calling on operators to take protective measures
Quick Look
- US authorities warn of an ongoing cyber threat to industrial cooling systems of food retailers and cold storage facilities.
- Hackers could change temperatures, causing fires and spoiled goods.
- The EU Commission has called a crisis meeting.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
US agencies including the FBI, CISA and the Departments of Health, Transportation and Agriculture have issued a joint warning about cyberattacks on internet-connected temperature controls in refrigeration systems. The EU Commission has called crisis meetings and activated the European cyber crisis network.
US authorities have warned of an ongoing cyber threat to industrial cooling systems. Unknown hackers were targeting vulnerabilities in internet-connected temperature controllers in food retailers and cold storage facilities, according to a joint statement released on Thursday by the Federal Police FBI, the cybersecurity agency CISA and the ministries of health, transport and agriculture. Any company with such systems should expect to be in the crosshairs of attackers, said acting CISA cybersecurity director Chris Butera.
If the perpetrators managed to gain access, they could change the temperature, the message continued. This resulted in the risk of fires, spoiled goods and a shorter service life of the systems. These systems are being attacked worldwide in various sectors of critical infrastructure, said FBI Director of Cyber Operations Brett Leatherman. Authorities called on operators to disconnect their control systems from the public Internet, isolate them from corporate networks and immediately install software updates.
Three waves of attacks
The warning followed a series of cyberattacks on commercial refrigeration systems in the US and Europe. There have been at least three such waves in the past few months. Investigators from the US Department of Defense are investigating whether a series of unexplained malfunctions in refrigerators in supermarkets on US military bases in August were due to a cyber attack.
The EU Commission called two crisis meetings on Tuesday. The primary aim was to exchange information and coordinate further action, as a Commission spokesman said in Brussels. The EU cybersecurity agency Enisa, the Europol police authority and the responsible experts from the Commission took part in the rounds.
The European network for cyber crises has also been activated. There the EU Commission exchanged ideas with representatives of the member states and national authorities. EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen spoke of a deliberate attempt to disrupt food supplies and undermine consumer confidence. However, security of supply is currently not at risk.
In October, a large-scale attack on French cooling systems caused tens of millions of euros in damage. On Monday, more than 100 stores across Europe were affected by another incident.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The US defense authorities will confirm or rule out the unexplained malfunctions of cooling equipment at military bases in August as a cyber attack.
Likely · Within weeks
The EU Commission will announce further coordinated protective measures for critical cooling infrastructure in member states.
Possible · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Who is behind the attacks?
- Which specific companies or facilities were affected?
- Which software updates are recommended?
