Plan ahead Critical Check your exposure
Internet-connected freezers and cold chain systems are becoming a cyber target
Forescout Researchretail, food, defence
What happened. Forescout reports attacks on French supermarket refrigeration that changed temperature and defrost settings. Reuters reported the Pentagon is treating freezer failures at six US military commissaries in August as a suspected cyberattack. The investigation is open.
Who is affected. Supermarkets in France and elsewhere in Europe, and US military commissaries. Any site with internet-connected refrigeration controls may share the risk.
What to do. Check whether your refrigeration and cold-storage controls are reachable from the internet, and restrict remote access to them.
When to act. Plan ahead: judged critical: check whether it applies to you
Editor's reading
Forasset ownerOT security lead
- Purdue level
- L3.5
- L2
- L1
Why: Refrigeration controllers are field-level control devices (L1) with management interfaces (L2), often reached through remote access paths (L3.5).
- Are you exposed?
Search internet-facing address ranges and remote-access settings for refrigeration controller web interfaces or vendor remote-management links.
- If you cannot fix it yet
- Remove refrigeration controllers from direct internet access and place them behind a firewall.
- Require multi-factor authentication for any remote access to refrigeration management.
- Set alarms for temperature and defrost changes that are independent of the control system.
- Watch for
- Changes to temperature set points or defrost schedules made outside normal maintenance.
- Remote logons to refrigeration control interfaces from unfamiliar addresses.
- ATT&CK for ICS
- T0831Manipulation of Control
Inferred from the facts above, not stated by the source. Check it against your own site before acting.