FBI warns cyberattackers could strike US supermarket freezers following hacks in Europe heres what shoppers need to know

A chilling new US security threat could spoil more than just Americans’ peace of mind.Following last week’s grocery cyberattack wave in Europe — where supermarkets in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg and Estonia were hit with unintended freezer and fridge temp increases initiated by remote hackers, forcing some stores to chuck spoiled food — the FBI has issued a public warning on X to grocers and authorities at cold storage facilities.“The FBI and our partners are seeing malicious cyber activity targeting industrial refrigeration and cold-chain monitoring systems around the world,” reads FBI Cyber Branch account’s most recent post following the string of European incidents, as well as a batch of America-based freezer malfunctions that ruined food at six U.S.military base commissaries in August which are under investigation as a suspected hack.“These systems help keep food, medicine, and other products at safe temperatures and are widely used across critical infrastructure sectors.”The post goes on to explain that cyber-attackers have been utilizing electronic temperature and refrigeration controllers to do harm at grocery stores and cold storage facilities, including refrigeration components at three foreign blood service facilities.“While this attack was unsuccessful due to the proper alert mechanisms in place, security weaknesses in unpatched or internet-accessible controllers can allow attackers to change system settings, potentially causing inventory loss and equipment damage,” the post warns.The FBI is urging U.S.

organizations that utilize these temperature control systems to take controllers off the public web, use a firewall for access, change default passwords, learn how vendors configure devices, set safe temperature limits and make sure alerts reach the proper contacts — reasoning that is explained in further detail in the FBI’s published advisory.In an accompanying video message, Assistant Director of the FBI Cyber Division Brett Le...