The Australian Cyber Security Centre has issued a High status alert about cyber attacks on internet-connected industrial and building equipment, including commercial refrigeration and cooling systems.
- What it is: Attacks on commercial refrigeration systems have been reported overseas. No targeting has been seen in Australia so far, but businesses are urged to stay vigilant.
- Who is affected: Any business running internet-connected equipment such as cold rooms, refrigeration, cooling or building controls, and the routers, firewalls and remote access gateways that connect them.
- The risk: Attackers target insecure connections to disrupt critical services, which can mean spoiled stock, lost trading time and costly repairs.
- What to do:
- Make sure this equipment is not directly exposed to the internet, especially older devices and anything with remote access.
- Find and patch known vulnerabilities promptly.
- Use strong authentication, tight access controls and network segmentation.
- Review security logs regularly and watch for unusual automated activity.
We recommend businesses with refrigeration or similar equipment ask their suppliers whether it can be reached from the internet, and contact us if you would like us to check. Suspicious activity can be reported to the ACSC on 1300 292 371.