American grocery retailers are confronting a potentially devastating digital threat: hackers could manipulate refrigeration systems, destroy food stocks and drive up prices for shoppers during the holiday season.
The FBI and other US agencies have issued an urgent alert after cybercriminals began targeting freezers, refrigerators and cold-storage equipment used by supermarkets and other businesses handling perishable goods around the world.
The attacks reportedly destroyed millions of dollars’ worth of frozen and refrigerated products at supermarkets in France, Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg and Estonia during October.
By remotely raising freezer temperatures to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, the attackers spoiled the contents. US officials now fear American retailers could face similar disruption.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) warned: ‘The actors may exploit vulnerabilities or weaknesses in unpatched or internet-accessible controllers to remotely alter settings and force units into continuous heating and defrost cycles.’
The Pentagon’s Cyber Command has also been examining comparable acts of sabotage reported in August at US military installations in Arizona, California, Mississippi, Rhode Island and Wyoming.
Retailers have been advised to disconnect temperature-control systems from the public internet, install the latest software updates and sharply restrict who can adjust refrigeration settings.
On Monday, French officials said Iran was responsible for the attacks, alleging that the country’s Revolutionary Guard had conducted sophisticated cyber operations for months as the war with the US continued.
Millions in spoiled food has had to be discarded after hackers sabotaged the temperature controls in freezers at hundreds of European supermarkets
Grocery stores in France, Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg and Estonia have been affected. French officials have blamed Iran for the cyberattacks
Officials say the risk extends beyond supermarkets to food retailers, cold-storage warehouses and businesses involved in food production and agriculture.
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities that store medicines, blood or vaccines could also be exposed, along with refrigerated transport companies, chemical plants and military kitchens.
The FBI’s warning was included in a joint advisory issued on November 5 by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Transportation.
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The agencies said the suspected Iranian campaign could spread from Europe to the United States, potentially creating serious consequences for businesses and consumers if supermarket operations are interrupted.
A nationwide breach could trigger a chain reaction, officials warned. Refrigeration systems might be damaged or require costly replacement, leaving companies to absorb millions of dollars in repair expenses.
The FBI notice on November 5 also cautioned that compromised temperature controls could potentially trigger fires, destroying additional products and putting workers and the public at risk.
Health authorities also warned that food stored at unsafe temperatures could make consumers ill, increasing the risk of bacterial contamination and food poisoning.
The vulnerability stems from the widespread use of internet-connected electronic controllers in commercial refrigeration and cold-monitoring systems—technology that has already been exploited in Europe.
Cyber attackers hacked hundreds of supermarkets across France and defrosted their freezers last month
Grocery stores have had to dispose of millions of dollars worth of food which spoiled after freezer temperatures were set to 122 degrees Fahrenheit by hackers
The technology allows maintenance teams to monitor equipment, review data and change settings remotely rather than traveling to each supermarket.
But the same remote-access capability has left hundreds of facilities exposed, particularly where outdated software or weak malware defenses allow attackers to override cooling controls.
The IC3 advised businesses that depend on frozen or refrigerated goods to remove their control panels from the public internet wherever possible.
Facilities that require remote monitoring should protect the systems with a strong firewall and ensure the security software is regularly updated.
Authorities also urged operators to replace factory-set and default passwords immediately, making network-connected refrigeration equipment more difficult for cybercriminals to access.