Hackers reportedly changed temperature settings on refrigeration equipment used by the French Blood Establishment, EFS, from around −30°C to 110°C after targeting its cooling service provider, Coolworld.
No it doesn’t but it shows that there are monitoring systems in place to catch that in time to neutralise its effects. Don’t you think that is relevant information to include for context?
I’m sorry, but for me, no. This is imports stuff. These freezers don’t need enshittification Internet connections, but even if there is a legitimate reason for them to have it; its 2026, we’ve known what can happen with internet connected devices for decades now, and still most devices get delivered with default passwords and then get managed by people who have absolutely jonidea about security and then everyone goes pikachu surprise face when it gets hacked.
These devices, if internet IS required, must require at least a setup procedure that requires changing passwords, that requires with legal papers that an authorized security technician does that setup, etc.
But nah, it’ll be fine, what is the worst that could happen? We have monitoring equipment in place!
Again, I am not saying it is a good idea to put those freezer on the internet, one thing would be to put external sensors on the internet for monitoring, with no connection to the freezers controls. Then the only thing that can be done is stealing temperature information that is no surprise to anyone.
In any case, it is relevant to include the context that this attack failed to do any damage. Most below commented as if damage was done and that is disinformation. I am sick of misleading messages on the internet that are leaving out important context.
The question is why IT didn’t employ some Security 101 on these things. FFS, just about no public facing interface should be locked only by a user/pass, and one would hope it’s firewalled off and invisible in the first place.
Context: “France’s Health Ministry said staff detected the abnormal temperatures in time and that the incident caused no operational consequences.”
So while this was a serious incident, controls did actually work. The comments here read as if no one is aware of that.
That doesn’t take away the question how this is possible in the first place. Why do these freezers even have an internet connection to begin with?
No it doesn’t but it shows that there are monitoring systems in place to catch that in time to neutralise its effects. Don’t you think that is relevant information to include for context?
In my message, you mean?
I’m sorry, but for me, no. This is imports stuff. These freezers don’t need enshittification Internet connections, but even if there is a legitimate reason for them to have it; its 2026, we’ve known what can happen with internet connected devices for decades now, and still most devices get delivered with default passwords and then get managed by people who have absolutely jonidea about security and then everyone goes pikachu surprise face when it gets hacked.
These devices, if internet IS required, must require at least a setup procedure that requires changing passwords, that requires with legal papers that an authorized security technician does that setup, etc.
But nah, it’ll be fine, what is the worst that could happen? We have monitoring equipment in place!
Yeah, no, doesn’t convince me
Again, I am not saying it is a good idea to put those freezer on the internet, one thing would be to put external sensors on the internet for monitoring, with no connection to the freezers controls. Then the only thing that can be done is stealing temperature information that is no surprise to anyone.
In any case, it is relevant to include the context that this attack failed to do any damage. Most below commented as if damage was done and that is disinformation. I am sick of misleading messages on the internet that are leaving out important context.
The question is why IT didn’t employ some Security 101 on these things. FFS, just about no public facing interface should be locked only by a user/pass, and one would hope it’s firewalled off and invisible in the first place.
Comment first. Open link maybe. Actually read the article hardly ever.