Cold storage systems on U.S. military installations were reportedly targeted in the summer.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Department of Transportation issued a fact sheet warning of ongoing cyber threat activity targeting industrial refrigeration and cold chain monitoring systems. Sectors that could be affected by the critical infrastructure vulnerability include Healthcare and Public Health, Chemical, Food and Agriculture, and Transportation Systems. Cyberattacks have been reported against freezers and fridges in supermarkets worldwide, U.S. military installations, and a blood bank and supermarkets in Europe.
“Globally, malicious cyber actors are targeting vulnerabilities and weaknesses in unpatched or internet-accessible electronic temperature controllers and commercial refrigeration controllers in retail grocery and cold storage facilities,“ CISA cautioned. “If successfully exploited, the actors could change the temperature and possibly cause physical impacts such as fire hazards, loss of inventory, and changes to the service life of the system.“
“Industrial refrigeration and cold-chain monitoring systems protect food, medicine, and other temperature-sensitive products, making them attractive targets for malicious cyber actors,” said FBI Cyber Branch Operations Director Brett Leatherman. “We are seeing these systems targeted across critical infrastructure sectors globally, putting inventory and equipment at risk. This fact sheet provides clear, practical steps that network defenders can take to reduce that risk and protect operations.”
U.S. Cyber Command and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Cyber Field Office are investigating instances of refrigeration units that went haywire on military installations over the summer. Refrigeration equipment at six military bases reportedly malfunctioned in August, spoiling massive quantities of food.
U.S. officials have communicated with French law enforcement, as authorities there determined that hackers were responsible.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For U.S. cybersecurity officials as they seek to protect the food storage systems in the nation.
- For federal investigators as they gather evidence surrounding the refrigerated system malfunctions at military bases.
Sources: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, RedState, Tech Crunch
