Israel Warns Retailers of Cyberattacks on Cooling Systems

Israel's National Cyber Directorate issued a warning on Monday to retail chains, food companies, and logistics centers, urging them to immediately inspect their refrigeration and freezing systems. The alert stems from recent cyberattacks in Europe where attackers gained control of temperature regulators, altered settings, and caused spoilage and equipment damage. These European attackers exploited security vulnerabilities in internet-connected control units, leading to temperature changes, activation of defrost systems, equipment failures, and in some cases, fires.

Three weeks prior, hundreds of French retail branches were affected by a breach into temperature control systems managed by an external service provider. Similar disruptions were reported in the Netherlands and Belgium. The National Cyber Directorate emphasized the need to protect operational systems connected to networks, not just information systems, as damage to these could disrupt business operations and the food supply chain.

Israeli companies were asked to examine their systems, particularly remote access interfaces for technicians and service providers, and report on the measures taken. The Directorate provided security guidelines, including ensuring control systems are not directly exposed to the internet, changing default passwords, updating software, securing remote access with multi-factor authentication, and implementing independent alerts for abnormal temperature changes. All organizations operating remote control and cooling systems were urged to assess their defenses and report any unusual activity to hotline 119.