Yes, they are, especially in Europe. Over the last few months, hackers have been actively targeting supermarket fridges and freezers in Europe, causing tens of millions of dollars in damage. Seeing daily news about yet another cyberattack on supermarket fridges and freezers has become the norm lately. However, the attacks are getting more sophisticated and causing even more trouble and harm.
While seeing random hackers work hard to spoil milk or meat is certainly unpleasant, the same hackers are now targeting health organizations too. Multiple media outlets reported that hackers are actively attacking blood banks, which heavily depend on adequate refrigeration. Earlier this month, several blood storage facilities reported that hackers had breached their refrigeration systems, but fortunately, administrators managed to stop them before they could ruin the blood plasma.
Key takeaways
- Hackers are actively targeting European supermarket fridges and freezers and have already caused tens of millions in damage.
- Similar attacks have struck US military bases, with the Pentagon continuing to investigate.
- Health institutions and blood banks are also among the targets.
- Smart home fridges are not safe either, as hackers can access them via Wi-Fi for malicious purposes such as disruption or botnet use.
Are cyber criminals attacking US-based locations too?
Indeed, they are. Since the refrigeration attacks started in Europe at the end of the summer, there have been plenty of documented attacks on US soil too. The bad actors have been particularly focusing on government facilities and US military bases. The Pentagon is actively investigating refrigeration disruptions at grocery facilities across at least six US military locations and other government facilities. The tactics used by the hackers resemble attacks seen across Europe: an unknown individual overrides the refrigeration devices’ standard settings and flips them to maximum defrost mode, essentially ruining the food in the fridges. US law enforcement is working with their European counterparts to identify the perpetrators.
Can hackers tamper with regular consumer fridges and freezers used in a home?
Yes, they can, and they are doing it. Smart fridges have been an attractive target for hackers since they first appeared roughly twenty-five years ago. However, it is important to distinguish these attacks: instead of scanning for specialized building-management systems, they tend to exploit vulnerabilities in home Wi-Fi networks, mobile apps, and IoT ecosystems. As an example, if a hacker dislikes an opinion an individual shared on social media, they can try to ruin the person’s day by tampering with their fridge. Or, if the home Wi-Fi is not secured, hackers might “recruit” the fridge into a botnet by injecting tiny pieces of malware into the fridge’s Linux-based operating system, essentially turning it into a “zombie” computer. Bad actors then use its processing power to launch attacks on hacker targets. Meanwhile, the smart fridge continues to perform normally.
Why are the hackers attacking refrigeration systems?
They are attacking fridges/freezers because they can. The attacks are believed to be coming from lone wolves or to be state-sponsored, with the usual suspects—Russia, Iran, and China. The refrigeration cyberattacks are not over. Even though US agencies are working with EU agencies to identify and stop the attacks, it appears the attacks won’t slow down. The attacks remind us that hackers are not always after monetary gain. Sometimes they hack because they can, because they want to cause disruptions or make a point, not because they want to make a buck off the attack. None of the publicly documented incidents reported ransom demands or any leftover ransomware notes.
Bad actors like to cause trouble. Whether it is an opportunistic hacktivist who didn’t like an individual or organization’s opinion (or the lack of one) on a hot topic, or a state-sponsored attacker wanting to stir the pot in a certain country and cause internal issues, cybercriminals will always use any opportunity to take advantage of a weakness within a system. Sometimes their actions aren’t driven by monetary gain but by state and political affiliations or beliefs. Closing loopholes and using proper antivirus software to protect your connected home devices has never been more important.
