After the attacks on refrigeration in Belgian shops, US security agencies also raise the alarm
CISA, the FBI and three government departments are asking companies to take cooling systems off the internet, while the question of who is behind it remains open.
The US cyber agency CISA, the FBI and the departments of Agriculture, Health and Transportation issued a joint warning on Thursday about attacks on refrigeration units and systems that monitor the cold chain, TechCrunch reports. Through unsecured or directly internet-connected controllers, hackers can change temperatures and push equipment into an endless heating and defrost cycle, causing lost stock and a fire risk. The agencies are asking owners to disconnect the systems from the internet, change passwords, install updates and retire unsupported equipment.
The warning follows waves of attacks in Europe. Since mid-October, thousands of cooling systems in hundreds of shops in France, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden have been tampered with, with temperatures reaching 50 degrees, The Register writes. In Belgium the targets include branches of Intermarché, Delhaize, Carrefour and Ikea in Mons; a Proxy Delhaize in Hoepertingen threw away at least 60,000 euros' worth of food, VRT NWS reports. According to TechCrunch, some of the units were made by the Danish manufacturer Danfoss and no longer received security updates. A French blood bank was also targeted, and the Pentagon is investigating failing freezers at US military bases.
Who is behind the attacks has not been established. According to specialist media, the pro-Russian groups NoName057(16) and Z-Pentest claimed the attacks, which the Kremlin denies, VRT NWS reports. TechCrunch writes that security researchers instead point to Iran and that US officials reportedly suspect that country too. The United States has not yet officially attributed the attacks to anyone.