Caught cold: fridge cyberattack highlights internet gadget weaknesses

Paris — Cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems in multiple European countries on Monday underscored the vulnerabilities of linking industrial equipment to the internet. Following a prior incident in France in October, several chains in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Sweden faced significant increases in fridge and freezer temperatures on Monday, leading to the disposal of spoiled food.

Industrial equipment, such as refrigeration systems, which were once primarily isolated from the internet, is increasingly interconnected for remote monitoring and management, according to cybersecurity experts like Antoine Hautin, secretary-general of the Almond consultancy. This connectivity, however, also offers attackers a pathway to disrupt physical systems via digital networks.

In France, the hackers focused on the fridge regulation system manufactured by the Danish company Danfoss, widely used by retailers. Typically, this is achieved through a web interface where users input a password to gain access.