Pentagon investigating suspected cyberattack on refrigerators at US military bases

The Pentagon is investigating a suspected cyberattack on cooling systems at at least six US military bases, which caused the destruction of large quantities of food. Investigators are cooperating with France, where a similar attack occurred. Those responsible have not yet been identified.

The Pentagon is investigating suspicions that hackers took control of cooling systems at at least six US military bases, causing the destruction of large quantities of food. The malfunctions occurred at the end of August and included an abnormal temperature rise in freezers, leading to food thawing. In one case, at Fort Huachuca in Arizona, a freezer switched to defrost mode overnight. The Pentagon confirmed that a unit of US Cyber Command is operating in coordination with law enforcement. American investigators are cooperating with their counterparts in France, where a similar cyberattack damaged more than 350 businesses, including supermarkets, causing food destruction and even fires. Cybersecurity experts assess that older cooling systems connected to the internet without protection may be vulnerable to intrusion. However, it has not yet been determined whether the malfunctions were indeed caused by a cyberattack, and it is unknown who is behind them.