National Cybersecurity Agency warns of cyberattacks on refrigeration equipment

In recent weeks, several European countries have experienced cyberattacks targeting control systems for refrigeration and freezer equipment, Azerbaijan's National Cybersecurity Agency (NCA) said in a statement.

According to Report, the agency said hundreds of supermarkets in France were affected by these attacks on October 11, 2026, while similar incidents occurred in Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands and Estonia on November 2. The threat extends beyond the retail sector. Reports of interference with refrigeration equipment at a blood bank in France indicate that such attacks also pose a risk to the healthcare sector.

During the attacks, cybercriminals gain access to refrigeration and freezer control systems and switch them to defrost mode or raise the temperature to 50°C. The incidents occur mainly at night, meaning that the intrusions are detected only in the morning, by which time the stored products have become unusable.

The main targets are control interfaces directly accessible via the internet.

These include the Danfoss AK-SM 800 and AK-SC 355 models, which are no longer supported by the manufacturer, AK-SM 800A controllers running outdated software, as well as Copeland XWEB and Dixell XWEB systems.

The consequences of such intrusions go beyond financial losses. Disruptions to temperature controls can cause equipment malfunctions, create fire hazards and compromise the required storage conditions for medicines and other medical products.

The NCA urges organizations to strengthen the protection of automated control systems, particularly refrigeration systems, against cyberattacks. Its recommendations include restricting remote access, changing default passwords, regularly updating software, monitoring suspicious activity and introducing alert mechanisms for sudden temperature changes.