Israel Issues Urgent Cyber Alert on Refrigeration System Attacks

Israel's National Cyber Directorate issued an urgent warning on Thursday to supermarket chains, food companies, and logistics centers across the country regarding a wave of unprecedented cyberattacks targeting refrigeration and freezing systems.

The alert follows similar attacks in Europe where hackers exploited security vulnerabilities in internet-connected control systems. Attackers remotely gained control, altered temperature settings, and activated defrost cycles, causing widespread food spoilage and significant economic damage. These incidents demonstrated how weak security in operational technology (OT) systems can lead to direct physical harm to goods, business continuity disruptions, and even equipment damage, including fires.

In response to the severity of the European incidents, the National Cyber Directorate is urging Israeli companies to immediately inspect their refrigeration and control systems, particularly those allowing remote access for technicians and service providers. Companies are asked to report back on their inspections and protective measures.

Key recommendations include ensuring control systems are not directly exposed to the internet, changing default passwords, updating outdated systems, securing remote access with multi-factor authentication, and implementing independent alerts for unusual temperature changes.

The Directorate emphasized the critical need to protect not only information technology (IT) systems but also networked operational technology (OT) systems, which can directly impact business operations, cause physical damage, and disrupt the supply of essential goods. All organizations operating remote refrigeration and control systems are urged to review their security immediately and report any suspicious activity to the National Cyber Directorate's hotline.