FBI warns of freezer hacking attacks in Walmart, Target: 6 things retailers must do
The FBI has issued a warning to US retailers regarding cyberattacks on industrial refrigeration systems. Hackers have been remotely manipulating freezer temperatures in Europe, causing significant inventory loss and raising concerns about critical infrastructure security.
Why it matters
This highlights a growing vulnerability in the Internet of Things (IoT) where critical food and medical supply chains are susceptible to remote sabotage.
The FBI has warned American grocery stores and cold storage facilities to lock down their refrigeration systems, following a wave of cyberattacks in Europe where hackers remotely raised freezer temperatures and ruined store inventories. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) by the FBI Cyber Branch, the agency said it is tracking malicious cyber activity targeting industrial refrigeration and cold-chain monitoring systems worldwide. These electronic controllers are used across critical infrastructure to keep food, medicine and other temperature-sensitive goods safe.The warning comes just days after supermarkets in France, Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg and Estonia were hit by remote hackers who raised fridge and freezer temperatures, forcing stores to throw out spoiled food.
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