EU cyber chief warns home appliances may be next

The EU's cybersecurity chief has warned that home appliances may become the next target following recent attacks on supermarket refrigerators across Europe. Juhan Lepassaar, executive director of the EU's cybersecurity agency ENISA, urged the continent to invest more in countering growing cyber threats. Supermarkets in at least 12 European countries were hit by attacks in October and November, with France being the most affected.

Lepassaar emphasized that security should not be an afterthought, noting that cyberattacks can range from fridges to routers and eventually home appliances. He stressed that all incidents can be avoided if there is sufficient investment. Lepassaar called for manufacturers to design secure products and emphasized the critical nature of cybersecurity, as every service we rely on depends on digital elements that, if unprotected, can be hacked.

A worst-case scenario could lead to the loss of essential services, such as emergency response and hospital operations. The attacks on French supermarkets, which forced many to discard perishable food, were attributed by France to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Lepassaar did not comment on the accusation but noted that Iranian and Russian state-aligned actors are known to target Europe.

He welcomed the upcoming EU cybersecurity rules and the plan to double the size of ENISA, but stressed that it is still not enough.