US government warns of ‘ongoing cyber threat’ amid mass hacks of industrial retail and military freezers
A joint U.S. government statement says the hacks are affecting the food, transportation, and healthcare industries after reports of global mass hacks.
The U.S. government has issued a warning about an ongoing cyber threat targeting industrial refrigeration units, following a series of attacks on freezers and fridges in supermarkets, military bases, and a blood bank worldwide. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and several other federal agencies issued a joint statement on Thursday, highlighting the risks posed to critical infrastructure, such as the food, agriculture, transportation, and medicine-shipping industries.
These attacks could result in temperature changes, causing physical hazards like fire, loss of inventory, and reduced system lifespan. The attacks have occurred in recent weeks across the United Kingdom and Europe, affecting at least a dozen countries. In one incident, hackers manipulated the temperature of refrigerated units, causing defrosted food to spoil and destroying produce.
The U.S. Department of Defense is also investigating hacks targeting military refrigerators. While the U.S. has not officially attributed the attacks to a specific group or government, security experts widely believe Iran is responsible. Federal agencies advise affected industries to remove remote control systems from the internet, update passwords, apply patches, and retire unsupported equipment.
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