AIPAC 🇺🇸🇮🇱

Israel’s National Cyber Directorate has issued a warning to retail chains, food companies, and logistics centers across the country over cyberattacks targeting refrigeration and freezer systems through internet-connected controllers. The warning follows an unusual wave of cyberattacks in Europe, in which hackers managed to remotely take control of temperature-control systems in supermarkets, alter refrigeration settings, and cause large quantities of food to spoil. The attacks resulted in significant financial losses, disruptions to retail operations, and, in some cases, damage to equipment and even fires. In response, the National Cyber Directorate has again contacted Israeli retail chains in recent hours, urging them to conduct immediate inspections of their refrigeration and control systems, with particular attention to systems that allow remote access by technicians and service providers. The chains have also been asked to report back to the Directorate on their inspections and the implementation of protective measures. The recommendations include ensuring that control systems are not directly exposed to the internet, changing default passwords, updating outdated systems, securing remote access through multi-factor authentication, and activating independent alerts to detect unusual temperature changes.