FBI warns cyberattackers could strike US supermarket freezers following hacks in Europe — here’s what shoppers need to know

Hackers have remotely altered refrigeration settings at supermarkets in four European countries, leading some stores to discard spoiled food. The FBI has warned US grocers and cold-storage operators that similar attacks could disrupt food and medicine supplies, damage equipment and cause inventory losses.

The FBI says attackers are targeting industrial refrigeration and temperature-monitoring systems worldwide, including controllers at three foreign blood-service facilities; an attempt there was stopped by alerts. Six US military commissaries also reported freezer malfunctions in August, which are under investigation as a suspected hack, and US and French authorities are checking for possible links to the European incidents. The FBI advises organisations to remove controllers from the public internet, secure access with firewalls and strong passwords, apply updates, set safe temperature limits and ensure alerts reach the right people.