US warns of 'ongoing cyber threat' to industrial refrigeration systems

The United States has issued a warning regarding a persistent cyber threat targeting industrial refrigeration systems, according to a statement released on Thursday by the FBI, the cyber defense agency CISA, and other government departments. The statement emphasized that every organization relying on cold storage should consider their systems as potential targets for hackers.

The malicious cyber actors identified in the statement were focusing on vulnerabilities in internet-accessible electronic temperature and commercial refrigeration controllers found in retail grocery stores and cold storage facilities. If these vulnerabilities were successfully exploited, the hackers could manipulate the temperature control and potentially cause severe consequences, including fire hazards, loss of inventory, and reduced system lifespan.

Chris Butera, CISA's acting executive assistant director for cybersecurity, warned that every organization with refrigeration and monitoring systems should assume they could be a target and stay updated on notifications for breaking news and important stories.